Western Equatoria civilians to fight terrorism

By Justin Ambago Ramba

January 18, 2008 — No police no army: sadly Western Equatoria State civilians will have to defend their homeland using bows and arrows appeals the governor to the state youth.

As things unfold in Western Equatoria State (WES) over Christmas and throughout the New Year every bit of the state has become completely insecure.

The story has many versions and each of them signifies nothing but a complete absence of any security apparatus. Civilians have been killed, abducted and displaced in Maridi, West Mundri and Mvolo in great numbers, yet the culprits have not yet been apprehended leave alone being identified.

Some say it is the work of the notorious LRA, others say it is a devilish tribal gang. Accordingly Mvolo was pounded by neighbouring tribal bandits from the Lakes State as confirmed by the WES deputy governor, while the run away LRA still remains to the main suspects of the incidences that took place in Maridi and Bangolo.

However to the citizens’ dismay, their requests for state protection is not forth coming as expected in any civilized government, and worse still their request for arms so that they can be able to protect themselves has also been turned down.

In the middle of all this helplessness, the WES governor had no any other resort by to appeal to the youth of the state to use whatsoever traditional weapons they can put their hands on and get to the duty of defending the state . She reminded them of their courageous ancestors who using bows and arrows were able to defeat the British and the Arabs.

Who can imagine that mere civilians will able to put a successful resistance in the face of a rebel group like the LRA who at a certain stage last year were able to attack a military garrison and inflict causalities on the SPLA on one side and at the same time expected to face an aimlessly roaming nomadic tribes who have access to modern weaponry which possibly might have reached them through their kinsmen in uniforms.

But since it is now all boiling down to self defence, I think the citizens of WES have a moral obligation to stand in the face of the invaders be them from the Lord’s or the Devil’s Resistance Army. It has long been said that if you are faced by a lion, the safest thing to do is to run towards it and face it boldly and you will be surprised to see how it backs off and runs for its life, rather than you turning you back and become a victim.

Anyway, 2009 may not be a peaceful year in vast areas of WES, but a reasonable calm can be maintained through the solidarity of all the citizens of the state. Every village must start arming itself and share intelligence with the other neighbouring tribes about the presence of any strangers in the vicinity. The choice is only one, either you defend yourselves as the governor put it or you will all perish while waiting to be defended by others.

People of WES have the potential to defend their homes even if the Goss turns its back to the insecurity caused by the terrorists. The political leaders in the state must come out very clearly and organize the citizens into fighting groups. I am sure that if you use those poisonous anti-human arrows with your well known skills, you can deter the enemy and send them fleeing with aerials on their foreheads and buttocks.

The day will come when your descendants will proudly remember you as a brave generation as you are proud of your ancestors who lived before you and were able to defend the land for you. If the enemies are out there, they will definitely kill you, humiliate you and abuse you, but if you put up a resistance by fighting back, you can be able to reduce the damages and at least if you are killed you will leave the world with a pride as a hero. Never allow your pride be taken hostage by a government which is too slow to react to your plights.