Ugandans must be welcome in South Sudan
By Lago Gatjal Riaka
September 27, 2007 — Due to recent development in the town of Juba, the capital city of Southern Sudan where a Uganda citizen was murder by a fellow Southern Sudanese policeman, it must be a great concern to all Southern Sudanese that such an incident should never happened again to our brothers, the Ugandans. The Ugandans were great friends to our brothers and sisters who sheltered in their country during the war. The Ugandan government provided secure environment to our people; our people were able to go to schools, and travel freely without harassment. This is something that we must appreciate and acknowledge by treating Ugandans living in our country fairly.
Our future is still ahead of us and it is astonished that we are celebrating before the referendum, yet the future might be in jeopardy. In Eastern Africa, Uganda is one of the countries that are very welcoming to Southern Sudanese. Southern Sudanese cross into Uganda daily without difficulty of being harassed or looted. Even in the United States, Diasporas are more likely to take visas to Uganda first before heading to their final destinations. The people of Uganda are our great friends, therefore, we must treat them fairly the same way they treat us when we are in their country.
Articles have been written on the webs concerning the unfairly treatment Ugandans are facing in the town of Juba and across Southern Sudan. This must be stop for the benefit of our people who are still living in Uganda and for our future. Even though our war has stopped, Uganda should still remain our great friend. We should appreciate their support of our revolutionary movement during the war, and in their support of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
Therefore, it is important that the Southern Sudan government conduct the investigation thoroughly by bringing the suspect to justice. Whoever was involved in the incident must be brought to justice, to prevent future incidences to Ugandans living in Southern Sudan. Justice must prevail and the people of Uganda living in Southern Sudan must be assured safety.
The government of Southern Sudan must apologize to the Ugandans’ government for the incident and be ready to solve the issue. However, I’m incompetence if the government of Southern Sudan should be rewarding the families of the Uganda victims in Southern Sudan. If that happen, then for Southern Sudanese happened to have been killed in Uganda must also be paid off. Thiers families must be rewarded too. In order for this to happen, the two countries must bilaterally cooperate and be ready for the challenges.
* The author is based in Minnesota, U.S.A. He can be reached at
[email protected]
Deng Akech Deng
Ugandans must be welcome in South Sudan
Thank you man, you have pointed out a very impportant point. Ugandans have always been our brothers and sisters, and always be. It would be very selfish of us, Southern Sudanese to pay back the hospitality and generosity Ugandans accorded us with during our struggles, with unwelcoming, mistreatment, and mischevious acts against Ugandans in our Territory. We still have a long way to go, of which we might need generous support from Uganda as we did during our years of struggles. And needless to say is that, even if we feel we have accomplished our goals, we still have to look back to how we achieved those goals, how to sustain and flourish them. And we should also know that we won’t be well off without good relationship with Uganda. We have commodity of all sorts that we need the market for. All in all, we need Ugandans and Ugandans need us. And they have shown us that they need us. They have supported and accommodated us during the wars and even now, after the war. They came in to help us develop our country. All different and important services they bring to us won’t be easy to produce in South without their help. Therefore, they should be praised and encouraged to render their services to their brothers and sisters without fear instead of harrassing them. I urge every Southern Sudanese who is proud of South Sudan to be mindful of the support Uganda has given us since the beginning of Southern struggles, and also be mindful of the consequences of their acts on fellow South Sudanese abroad like in Uganda. In additon, let us give the rule of law a chance to take its course in South Sudan. Let us see and solve problems with the eyes of laws, whether the problem is between South Sudanese or South Sudanese and a citzen of another counrty. This is for our good and our country. Thank you Mr. Lago for your consciousness on this very important issue.
Deng Akech Deng,
Saskatchewan Canada
Ngong The King
Ugandans must be welcome in South Sudan
Dear Gatjal,
Thank you for a thoughtful article. The people of Uganda are in deed our friends, brothers and sisters. They have stood with us during our struggle and had provided necessary support to our movement and our people who ran to their country. I went to Uganda two years ago and witness their generosity. The Uganda citizens are decent people and deserve respect and fair treatment by our people. It is very disturbing to hear or read that Ugandans are treated unfairly by our people! We, the South Sudanese, are respectful people and respect for others has been our tradition, but that wonderful tradition is now changing!
Please South Sudanese, try to respect your brothers and sisters(Ugandans) and treat them fairly.
In the other hand, our friends from Uganda should know that South Sudan is not their country and need to behave as visitors. There is a different bewteen citizens and non-citizens, hence; non-citizens need to follow the rules or laws of the land.
Enjoy CPA!
Bob Tata
Ugandans must be welcome in South Sudan
Gatjal!
South Sudan is going to be a sovereign state, in this sense, it will be governed by the rules of law and the same common legal mandates set by UN plus others that will be formulated by the GoSS that will suit best its citizens and must be respected by all the people who choose to live in south Sudan! I am not against welcoming of the people to come and invest in south Sudan and make a positive contribution to the development of our country! But I DON’T personally wish to invite hooligans and criminals to the country because they will not play any positive role other than corruption and negative exploitation of our resources and services! So, I should say diplomats, inventors, tourists and professionals are highly welcomed to live in our country but hooligans and corrupt persons are not welcomed at all!
By Bol Thourmuck of Greater Nuer(Greater Nasir)
Samson Liberty
Ugandans must be welcome in South Sudan
Uganda has now hosted southerners more than twice in the brutal Southern Sudanese civil wars of 1955/56 and 1983. Not only that many southerner were granted citizenship in Uganda especially the Kuku in Bugerere.Beyond that many Southerners served in the Ugandan civil and military during Amin’s rule.Educationally,approximately 60% of the English Speaking Southerners receives their basic or final standards in Uganda.So that affectionality already linked to common interest and values of the two African people.What had been seen to as mistreatment of Ugandan traders in Juba is likely attributed to either market competition by traders in Juba or ignorancy of a section of southerners who don’t know intramuscular relationship between Uganda and Southern Sudan.In my personal view,many Ugandan traders have already dominated the major markets in Southern Sudan,therefore the influx of Ugandan goods and commodities has created a challenge between the existing Northern Sudanese tradres in Juba and tradres from Uganda,kenya,Somalia,Eritera,Ethiopia,DRCongo and the advantaged Southern Sudanese returnee’s traders from all over the World.etc.Now for common customer down here seeing the booming situation could’nt ditinguish between inter market competition and market domination by foreigners.Hence Southern Sudan has become a window for opportunity for investment and markrting.Consquently,the tragic death of one Ugandan trader in Juba(New market)was a clear indication that there is still a gap in the Rule of Law applicable in Southern Sudan.To make it even worst the crime was committed by a policeman.Some people might rush to think that such an assault could resulted into plots of anti-peace elements and people who are already bribed to mistreat foreign traders.Finally I appeal to both Southerners and others that always remain vigilant to reconcile and forgive each other by helping your own Governments to defend your sovereignty.