Southerners have arrived The Promised Land

By Isaiah Abraham

July 7, 2011 — The National Anthem for the new Republic of South Sudan summarizes the purpose of our existence. In few words it was about almost everything: who to thank and why; where do we want to go, what we desire to become and how shall we do it. Thanks ineffably to the group of Southerners at the University of Juba for a magnificent job. You have lifted up the spirit of our people, and indeed depicted life in a more meaningful way, and trust that our people shall sing our National Anthem without referring to the paper. How can anyone sing an anthem using a paper script really?

As the curtain comes down in few hours time for total freedom for the people of Southern Sudan, we must congratulate ourselves, friends, salute our martyrs and quickly reaffirm our commitment to uphold the cause that have taken years to come by. We must translate our dream into creams this time around to prove Khartoum that we were serious people. It wasn’t just about masters of our own but making positive difference in the living conditions of our people, something an alien didn’t do for 180 years.

For centuries we had hoped the birth of the ‘baby’; today before our watch we shall all see it delivered, what a relief! Our ‘mother’ (Southern Sudan) has been barren for sixty (60) years, but God of heaven never tired of ‘creation’ even with that age. No one outside Sudan knew anything about the determination of our people for freedom, and sometime it was not easy to raise your voice about difficulties we face as black man in the former country called Sudan. We were slaves and second or third class citizens in our own land. We were misunderstood by anyone.

But the people of Southern Sudan despite scorns and humiliation by other ‘men’ who have sired their ‘wives’ never gave up one moment about their future; we had a living hope in us that one day our mother would definitely bear a baby. Today we are witnessing the birth of this ‘baby’ (just to emphasize). Never again shall our mother Southern Sudan be a subject of whisper by those who thought that we can’t make it. Thanks to great people of Southern Sudan, whose eyes were on this day.

We must also thank the team of the National Congress Party and on top Field Marshal Omar Hassan Ahmed Al Bashir for his great heart to compromise. He is a good man and we shall name a road or monument bearing his name in our capital city. Without him, nothing could have been celebrated today. President Al Bashir is a man, may he restore peace and development to the people of Nuba Mountain, Ingessina and Darfur.

Credit again has to go to our dear President Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit for guiding us to this land; he has been faithful to the cause of his people and good student for the liberation of South Sudan. He too has played his part very well. The big man Dr. John Garang must be happy now! This is a moment he has wished for his people! Southerners will not forget to thanks true friends of Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, DRC Congo, South Africa, USA, Great Britain, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Israel.

Our people however in their long quest for freedom have paid heavy price to achieve this glory. It never came out of nothing, men and women gave up everything to arrive at the Promised Land. The people of the South have every reason to celebrate for attaining their ultimate goal after many centuries of political uncertainty. We have made, Glory be to God! We are free and forever we are!

As I put down these lines, my tears haven’t stopped flowing when I look back about the pressure our men and women put to liberate this beautiful land called South Sudan. The heroes of Torit, Bor and Ayod are still fresh in my mind as they face Goliath with nothing in their hands but burden in their hearts. The youths in particular across our country that defied luxuries but opted to pour out to the bush to suffer and die like swamps so to free the people of Southern Sudan; they deserve big pat and this freedom is their brain child. For without them (youths) nothing could have been achieved.

My people were a laughing stock, people without peace within themselves and the world around them. We were in misery and without hope, as Arabs played every trick in any book to keep the yoke heavy on shoulder of every black Southern in the Sudan born or still unborn. We lost generations in child birth related diseases, something not anymore an issue in this century. Our children (in education) were off and on under trees/classes. Our people were still begging for bread from the North despites rich agricultural land. The opposite should have been true. Khartoum has used knowledge to make bread and then played starvation card to achieve political dependency.

In our new nation own by Southerners sanguinely, we are going to make hunger a history within a short period of time. Plans are there only political decision for money wasn’t. We will reduce illiteracy rate by big margin within given time. Our children will sit their exams in roofed classes. We shall improve communication and road networks across our land and with our neighbors. We will lock up thieves and lock up our border leading to Khartoum so to stop a trouble maker from running to pick a gun against our people. The list can go on and on. That is a beauty of controlling and managing your own affairs!

But someone somewhere charges that even if Southerners are left alone, these people shall fail to govern themselves well. That is a lie! For sure we know precisely the type of system we want to adopt and with Kiir-Machar, am pretty optimistic about the future of this land. Khartoum will wait and wait much longer to see us fail; but that shall be only in an illusion drain. We will succeed! Our main problem has been political freedom, now we are free.

Yes Southerners have individuals that are deficient in their thinking, tribal barons whose agenda is stark ignorance of what life means to them and to others. But the majority of our people know how to make this land an envy for Khartoum in few years to come. With the right attitude toward our land, and type of leaders such Machar and Kiir, we will propel to great highest in no time. Imagine the never- give up attitude our people developed over centuries, it nearly impossible to think that Southerners will fail to make positive changes in the pursuit of better life.

We have talked, written a lot about what we should do, and our leaders know what it takes to govern. Though six years experiment has prove to us that there are problems in our own management style, let us be optimistic because this land shall be rule by the law. No one shall be above the law. Era of political compromise has long gone; system and the people will account everyone. We will have no excuse to mess up Southern Sudan this time around. It is time to show our different talents for the building of South Sudan. Words alone can’t help. Long live the people of Southern Sudan!

Isaiah Abraham writes from Juba. he can be reached at [email protected]