From: Sudan Press
By Kuach Y. Tutkuay
“A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.”–John Maxwell
January 15, 2014 (SSNA) — It is with a due concerns for the humanitarian situation in south Sudan that I call on international community to intervene immediately to put to an end the everlasting suffering our leaders have subjected us to because of their own personal love for power. It would have been better if the SPLA have had a thorough training that they would be the nation’s professional army with no respect to their individual’s tribes. They were the very people who would have put short this chaos between the political leaders by not taking any side but remains one army that protect civilians.
Because the government has failed completely to develop a professional army, it has turned to be very catastrophic that the civilians they were supposed to protect are finishing in their own hands. The incident in Juba and Malakal had targeted thousands of Nuer women and children that had nothing to do with the power struggle. Same thing forced some SPLA nuer Generals to rebels and kill some civilians Dinka in Bor and Bentiu which had nothing to with the genocide in Juba. The two groups that suffered genocide are the very citizen whom the government is claiming to be protecting yet they turned to kill them in a cold blood murdering.
In any country, a legitimate government is that which does not segregates its citizens on tribal or religious bases. The Arab did this but in a better way, they never massacred a certain tribe in whole including the women and children, they never massacred people in masses like what happened in Juba. I thought all citizens voted for Kiir equally, I never knew there are some votes he would wished to be casted away rather. In the night of 16th December when the president declare a 12-hours curfew from 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM, many people including women and children lose their lives because it was the very night I would wish to curse for good, the night that a door-to-door killing of innocent civilians by Kiir’s force took place. Between the two groups, there is no legitimate government because all failed to protect civilians and as such, I would say that they should not be described as government and rebels, but instead would be described as “Kiir’s militia” and “Riak’s militia” respectively.
The territorial integrity the government is supposed to protect has been abused, many troops are coming in from the south and the north. Uganda sent in thousands of troop to support his bosom friend in what the world described as a tribal war. The Sudanese rebels–Justice and Equality Movement–JEM sent in thousands of troop from the northern part of the country. The national resources that was used to hire these troops would construct thousands metres road crossing the country from north to south. Since 2005, this government never had any success. It’s always the words of desperation that describes the whole south Sudanese system of government–corruption, nepotism, austerities, unemployment, insecurity, poor infrastructures, power struggle and finally the full blown stage of ‘genocide.’
It is obvious that there are some grievances among the south Sudanese tribes as a result of the struggle story, especially the two rival tribes of Nuer and Dinka. I remember in 2010 when I was in Fangak County, an SPLA soldier gave me an hefty blow just because I was greeted by one of my pupils addressing me as “uztaz” (teacher). “You will suffer, don’t forget the killing of our people by William Chuol Deng”he said. Chuol Deng was one of the SPLA generals who hails from Fangak County, but died long ago before I was born. I don’t have any connection with what he did during his operation as an SPLA commander. This gave me an idea that there is a need for national healing and reconciliation to end all these grudges against any tribe.
The national healing and Reconciliation commission was not formed until 2012 despite the fact that it would have been done first thing as soon as we were granted internal self-government in 2005. South Sudanese always pronounces the slogan of “justice, liberty and prosperity” but in reality they end up doing the opposite, they interfered with the commission and made it redundant in the hand of Bishop Daniel without any achievement. This indicated that the government is not willing and able to achieve reconciliation and national peace.
The government has failed completely to provide anything beneficial to its citizens, the only thing they could do perfectly is the killing of unarmed civilians because it is easy. The international community keep saying “legitimate government” forgetting that we the citizens made it legitimate and only we can make it illegitimate too. To end this massive killing, the international community especially the US must intervene and protect civilians in the hands of these brutal factions. The US need to repeat what they did for Iraq in south Sudan to save the remaining population from brutal killing. If only the international community will sit with their hands folded and watch, we the victims will not appreciate their neutrality because we are being finished day by day. I call up on those who have respect for human life and value it to come immediately to our aid. Save our remains oh friends of goodwill, enough is enough. More than ten thousand people killed in one month, it is disastrous!
I have lost several cousins from Nuer and several friends from Dinka, I don’t want to keep losing the people I love each day. May all their souls rest in eternal peace.
The author is south Sudanese from Nuer currently working with the United Nations in South Sudan, he was nearly a victim of Kiir’s massacre but was evacuated from Juba by UN on the ground that his tribe is being targeted and his security at risk. The views are not representing that of the UN but my personal views as a citizen of this country. You can reach me on kuach444@gmail.com