Let us move together to build South Sudan
By Watts Roba Gibia Nyirigwa*
Dec 21, 2005 — The building and construction of South Sudan requires participation, effort and contribution of every Southerner in every field, and from all levels right from the bottom to the top. We are living now at the watershed moment in the history of South Sudan, and we have to focus collectively to build our war-torn country (south Sudan), regardless our political affiliation and indifferences. Our common interest is beyond any ethnical and political empowerment. We can differ in opinion and views but can’t differ on our ultimate goal and vision of New Sudan, where everyone lives dignitary with respect and equal opportunity regardless of gender, color, religion and ethnicity.
South Sudan as stipulated in its constitution, based on the principle that all men are equal, and I believe that the people of south Sudan deserve to live collectively in synchronization, peace and freedom as the rest of the nations. Thus, construction of South Sudan requires building of its social, cultural, economic and political institutions in order to cater better services to the advance of south Sudan. The education and media has got great role to play at this postwar building, and the promotion of peace through media is vital, not distorted media but through sound media, which reflects and fosters peace, love and unity among south Sudanese community. People of south Sudan need education gravely, as without education there will be no advance in our southern society. The majority of our people are illiterate, and to build a viable democratic society, we have to educate our people by concentrating on eradicating illiteracy and making learning and reading our priority. You can’t expect democratically government in a society with high percentage of illiteracy, poverty and with absolute affiliation and convention to tribal empowerment. And to overcome all these barriers in our society, it will take couple of years, and will require endurance, and that is the role and duty of our intellectuals, politicians and leaders to be up to their standard, far from tribal empowerment, political maneuver and distortion of public opinion.
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There is a great need to make everyone in south Sudan to have peace in his/her heart and mind, and to have concrete house, as we can’t continue living indefinitely in huts or shanties, and that is why we have to join our hands and make peace a reality in our lives. We have manpower available and we have to utilize it in building our country depending on our little resources, as we will never be helped unless if we start helping ourselves. And it is worthy mentioning that the initiative made by five churches in Juba of setting up a volunteers group of One City – Many Hands Juba” is a true struggling spirit which reflects the determination of south Sudanese society for self-reliance, and we have to encourage such initiatives which would be a real momentum to building the entire southern towns and villages.
As we move on with construction of south Sudan, we have to concentrate on building our towns and villages on modern trends in order to reflect the beauty of southern Sudan. South Sudan with its rich natural resources is becoming the focusing, enticing and rivaling site to the investors around the globe. And here emerges the potentiality of prevailing security and order in every corner of southern Sudan. Thus, it is vital to build and modernize SPLA to defend constitution, protect people of south Sudan, to secure our territorial integrity, to defend south Sudan against internal and external threats and to participate in the construction. The Police of south Sudan to prevent, combat and investigate crimes, maintain law and public order, protect people and their properties and government officials. Prisons, is to maintain prisons of south Sudan and administer the internment and care for the health of prisons and inmate. As well as Security, Wildlife and Fire Brigade forces, as stipulated in the constitution. And as we move on, we have to pay much attention and care for our forces and provide them with every tool for effective and robust protection of people, as well as boosting their morale. Hence, I wonder, why the SPLA in the Joint Integrated Units, were not given salaries or incentives, since their arrival to Khartoum and those whom are in south unlike their counterparts from Sudan Armed Forces!
As we move on with our task of building, there is concern that the current protocol signed between Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF), Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) to carry out joint operations against Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), will worsen the fragile security situation in south Sudan, and will make Southerners more vulnerable and real targets to the LRA. The LRA has been destabilizing, terrorizing and committing atrocities within the southern territory for years backed and supported by NCP government in Khartoum. And after signing the CPA and before stabilizing the security situation in south Sudan, we should not be part of their conflict. As by permitting the UPDF to pursue LRA inside the southern Sudan territory, is a crucial compromise on southern security, and that let LRA targeting innocent civilians in southern Sudan, by taking advantage of security vacuum on the ground. We can’t take such step, unless have absolute control over our territory! The current initiative by GOSS to act as a mediator between the Ugandan government and LRA is the best recipe to windup the LRA attacks on the foreign and civilians in south, and it is good signal that LRA accepted mediation of GOSS, and this is step forward but we have to determine as whether LRA is actually serious to come to the negotiation table, and to stop its attacks on civilians in southern Sudan. The backing and support offered to LRA by NCP, has made LRA more acquainted to the areas of south Sudan, and know exactly how, where and when to execute their plans, by using same Sudanese military maneuvers. And that was apparent on their attacks on main roads leading to south Sudan such as in Yei, Nimule, Parajok and Maridi, and the recent killing of 10 civilians on their way back to south Sudan from a market in Uganda at Teretenye village near Ikotos. The question here is why LRA is trying to isolate south Sudan, by preventing people from going to Uganda or coming back to south and what is their interest here? This is the enemies of peace plan to hinder the inflow of goods into south, and to make south dependent on north. SPLA as a former guerrilla, knows for certain that, it is impossible to windup a guerrilla movement by war unless through negotiation. Thus, the GOSS has to seek for the best mechanism for its best interest to deal with the issue of LRA or otherwise LRA will continue to destabilize, terrorize and commit atrocities in southern Sudan.
The NCP government in Khartoum is notoriously known by its stance of creating havoc in various areas in Sudan to disrupt and retard the advance of those areas, like the government backed militias Janjaweed in Darfur and southern militias in southern Sudan. Thus, make no mistake that NCP who originally armed LRA, is still supplying and aiding LRA to destabilize security in southern Sudan. And GOSS has to make it clear to the NCP to stop its support to the LRA in any form. And that her position towards LRA has to be apparent with clear face but not bogus face. Let us not be deceived by the NCP’s vocal assurances that she had changed and is dealing with us in good faith. NO, it is only cosmetic change and she will continue to strive to maintain her principles and interests unilaterally and exclusively through her numerous parasites allover the country.
There is yet another crucial field of building which has to be taken into consideration as we move forward with construction of south Sudan that is, rehabilitation. There should be a special attention, treatment and psychotherapy of the victims of war, as there are some deepest and bitter marks both invisible and visible legacy of war such as mistrust, hatred and strong feeling of retribution, dead, wounded, raped, bereaved, orphans, refugees, internal displaced, material damaged, deprivation of culture, forced religion, ruthless terror and torture, all these need to be healed through actual reconciliation to overcome its long term effect in our society. As without healing mental and soul rehabilitation, the scenario or the events will continue to float endless in the victims mind like nightmare with ultimate goal of violence and reprisal which eventually leads to crisis within or among the society. As I am not an expert in psychotherapy, I believe this field will better be detailed by Psychiatrics and Psychotherapists and expertise in the mental health care service.
* Watts Roba Gibia Nyirigwa is based in Cairo – Egypt.
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