South Sudanese must mitigate the culture of hatred

By Kong J. Toang

Sept 2, 2006 — With great enthusiasm and excitement, I must say we have to honor our South Sudanese Ministers and Parliamentarians (MPs) despite of political affiliation you may have. In this time, we have witnessed success in the face of challenges, affirmed resiliency of native people through innovations, and shared countless assertions of sovereignty. By sharing the success stories and knowledge, you are helping to plant seeds and grow a better tomorrow. The Ministers and MPs’s professionalism have contributed immeasurably to the progress, well-being and quality of life and social stability of South Sudan. In the recognition of the difference they make, we are flourishing and building the nation through individuals, and communities across the great nation of South Sudan, I hope the citizens of South Sudan will give serious consideration to honor them.

There were contentious baseless on a commentary articles which flowing everywhere on the news sources. Definitely some of these articles should be ignored and treat the writers as are traumata and depressor. Abusing and discredit the scarified men who gave up their luxury lives here in west while took the army against enemy should not be tolerated. Advocating this virulent politics is failure in one way or another. A intellectual middle age south Sudanese at this time should be sitting in Juba, if not, should be in preparation to go. Sitting in front of computer in Atlanta, Georgia waiting for the opportunity to abuse the Ministers and MPs is depression or trauma.

Being a way from home for very long time is a disease. The depression and trauma are the most common diseases among the immigrants here in western world; care must be taken when dealing with people. You cannot diagnose yourself and you cannot be diagnosed by a friend or family member. Only a properly trained health professional can determine if you have depression or trauma. Symptoms of depression, I can be seen as irritability, anger, worry, agitation, anxiety, inability to concentrate and indecisiveness, If you experience five or more of these symptoms for off and on consult with your doctor for a thorough evaluation.

It’s true that when there are opportunities there must be also opportunists. Right before opportunists took the opportunity people of Akobo in Jonglei, South Sudan had mechanisms that identified their livings respectively, and they did not ignore their traditional commonalities. There was no culture assibilation or land hunger as some may think, but they did share common sense of destiny, brotherhood, and collective vision for peace and harmony. At some difficult time they united against a common foe; they prayed together, learned together, traded with each other, never thought of going to President of the country to ask for degree against one another, and never thought of driving each other away from their homes. That sense of togetherness and vision for peace was developed at all levels. The Community spoke man James Ojoch of Anyuak needs to stop hatred, anger, and eagerness for violence and replace them by a spirit of peaceful solution. Anyuak community needs to forget the past and begin a new on a future of hope and peace. Enough blood has been shed on both sides to exorcise the demons of war. The time is now opportune for both peoples to come to their senses and seek ways that would regenerate their traditional values and heritages

The Anyuak community leaders in large need to do better at acknowledging and accommodating the diversities, if they cannot do so, thing could be come fragment at any level. James Ojoch must force to understand the diversity in way or another, like Nyikaw Ochalla, the Human Rights and Political Activist and Chairman of the Anywaa Survival Organization who used to be Anyuak spoke man, he is now acknowledges the diversity, he is using better doctrine then before in his political theory which may enable him the recognition from ordinary citizens. In London, Ochalla has come to realize that unity is the only way of building the nation. Now he is advocating for the welfare of everyone. Abang Metho, Director of International Advocacy, Anyuak Justice Council should quit running the nebulous, shallow, mystery, obscure and embarrassing organization, he too should recognized his nationalism and he must abandon the narrow vision which only focus on Anyuak community, His leadership skill is highly need by all Gambella people not Anyuak lone. If he is really demur to the government of Ethiopia as it may sound, he should simply quit the obtuse politics and join Ethiopian Patriotic Front or Gambella People Liberation Front which are consisted with Gambella citizens that opposing to the Ethiopia People Democratic Revolutionary Front (EPDRF).

Of course there is a sectional group in Anyuak Community that has pledged to never make peace with with Lou Nuer of Ghon and Mor. They hate them and would like to see their lust for bloodshed fulfilled in the extermination of Nuer in large. If you try to find any rational as to the source of such what make them genocidal monger, you will find no rationale answer, accept the individuals who have lost their loved one in 1982-1983 incidents; example, James Ojoch lost his own mother in one of the Akobo incident. If you turn yourself round and ask any other south Sudanese whether he/she has lost any loved ones in these difficult days, the answers would be yes, so many. However, those individuals are marked inference replete in their statements and calls for violence: they see Nuer in general moving in large number occupying everywhere they can draw conscripts to march on the extermination mission. This is wrong assumption. Nuer never intended to take anybody land, their moment is a natural course it is like any other southern Sudanese tribe who has been pushed by the enemy from the far as Khartoum North. The concept of Nuer arrival to Akobo is the same concept as Anyuak settled in Akobo. European America did not discriminate the late comers to America; they still share the same citizenship equally. James Ojoch arrived in America in 20th century and still never asked to go back to Akobo. As history tells, regardless of the victory through cool blood, making alignment, or else the fact remains the same those are carryout the mission by killing end up being killed, the good example was Agua Alemu the former Head of Anuak People Liberation Movement/Army who end up dead, Okello Oman will spent the rest his life behind bar and Okello Gnegilo was lucky enough he absconded to Netherlands. In the sacred sense, I would suggest that those who wish to achieve the objectives through the opportunities of violence should renounce violence and relentlessly seeking peace. Should they continue to achieve its purpose in such a way, it can only end up bleeding

Now that the guns haven fallen silent, we need to work much harder to construct a shared civic consciousness that is meaningful for all people, this is a something that we are yet to achieve. We will need to address the underlying causes of the deep tensions that the war has highlighted and aggravated especially in Akobo. Young Akobans lived and learned separately, will need to be educated to overcome mutual ignorance and prejudice, to become more comfortable with their fellow citizens. Such a newly inclusive civic awareness and reality can be crafted in ways that need not threaten. Alongside achieving equal rights and opportunities for all Akobo citizens practical steps could be taken that would go a long way to address deep alienation. The instigation of a citizen should be known to be a celebration diversity of Akobo society and the development of a civic service corps as an alternative to violence.

I must say congratulation to Anyuak Community for meeting President Salav Kiir during his visit to USA. Communities deserve to brief and to be brief if they got the opportunity. Late hero Dr. John Garang met with Gaat-Gaak Community at Iowa State University in 2002 and with Equatoria Community in 2005 Iowa, USA. Dr. Riek Machar did the same, met with Anyuak Community in Minnesota, USA, SPLM Secretary General Pagan Amum is going to meet Equatoria Community in Phoenix and many meetings were conducted at communities’ level base. Meeting with President should not be considered as a victory over the land as Ojoch put it.

Mr. Ojoch, the MPs, Ministers and presidential advisor and many others you have attacked are your colleagues by age and also at the same level in term of education, and most importantly, you are representing the same constituency (Akobo). Confront them in Atlanta, Georgia and not in Juba or Akobo is failure. Once gain, let me draw your attention, emerging to the level of ministers, PM or presidential advisor is not a gift from any one, it’s what you have contributed and willing to contribute. “The MP/Minister cited above was himself a spoiler. He represented SPLA in London but deserted and betrayed the SPLA/M to join the Nuer factions simply because it was led by his tribesmen. What is less tribalism than this? By switching back and forth he returned to the SPLA like a wife who ran away from her husband” The traumata man need to understand that joining the SPLM/A or any other movement is not by marriage or community decision, its individuals will and no one was born to be liberation fighter. A very learned scholar should comprehend that being freedom fighter is volunteer work. And do not forget that you have a right to be safe and responsibility to say “no” and express yourself if things are out of scope of liberty. No one could be indicted for quitting or joining. You could leave whenever you feel like you want to. Okello Oman, former Governor of Gambella committed atrocities to United Nation’s officers; he killed eleven of them, however, the Anyuak Community should not hold accountable for the atrocities, because it was not on community base, but individual. Your statements against Ministers and MPs are fallacies, and be side yours are jealousness. You need to build your credential instead, then possibly your name may be keep in good book of government of South Sudan. I would like to see your nationalism extended to south Sudanese level not only to Anuak of Akobo.

Ultimately, if James Ojoch is really representing the Anyuak Community, then the Community should change its agenda for the betterment. Culture of hatred, hunger for killing and the thirst for blood will not do any good to Anyuak Community for one thing: the cultural and traditional foundations of the two sides Anuak of Akobo and Lou Nuer may not possibly condone it. Such irrational action can also begin the petrifaction of a culture that prides itself on violence instead of peace.

Author: Kong J. Toang based in USA. He can be reached at [email protected]