Who can contain the dire situation in South Sudan?

Who can contain the dire situation in South Sudan?

By: Abraham Daljang Maker

Freedom is what everyone was longing for in South Sudan. From 1955-1972, the slogan was the same. “We need to be free and determine our destiny.” The futility of 1972 Addis-Ababa agreement showed its ugly face when the South Sudan army was assimilated into the Sudan National army. This prompted another movement in 1983 leading to the loss of estimated two million lives; however, the best fruit of this struggle was the birth of a new nation. Hosting the national flag was greeted with ululations and chanting of the song of freedom especially in the National anthem.  Many of us thought that this would mark the end of suffering and the road of success and development seemed to be clear and straight. The oil money poured into few pockets and the rural populations remain in their pathetic lives and even some wounded heroes remain wondering why they lost their limbs without gaining the benefits of their sweat. A few bellies continue to protrude while may stomachs keep shrinking down daily, the gaps between the haves and the have not is widening day by day. A Counted number of permanent constructions are seen in the country but large sums of money flow into neighboring Kenya and Uganda where many estates homes are rented or even bought by the bourgeoisie from South Sudan.

In spite of these disparities in living, the security situation is beyond human description. Everyone lives in fear of unknown death whether in a villages or in towns. In villages for example, people lives in cats and dogs relationships especially in the cattle keeping communities. The idle youth who have guns or whatever weapon they have live in a situation of “survival for the fittest.”  Tribal clashes here and there are the norms of the day; innocent people get killed when they happen to be part of any warring clans. In towns, people continue to lose their lives in a funny way. You go to bed without the hope of seeing the morning lights; you only confirm it when you wake up in one piece. No freedom of associations, speech, expression or whatever freedom that comes into your mind. “You can raise your finger at your own risk and if you dare do it, you have the chances of losing that finger which you have raised. And if you stand tall in the crowd, there is a saw that runs above people’s head trying to check whose head is higher and cuts it off” what else to do than to live in total fear of unknown fate from unknown enemy. 

Coupled with this is tribal hatred, during the movement, people identified themselves as South Sudanese but after the peace, people have now become to categorized themselves as members of certain tribe with negative stereotype towards the other group. This is what is precisely called In-group and Out-group in social psychology. These groups have negative stereotype towards the other group and positive stereotype to themselves. Such a feeling of belonging to certain tribe has led to constant strive amongst these communities either through direct assaults or through discrimination in social setup or in work place.

The questions is “for how long shall the blood keep pouring out in South Sudan?” this needs to be addressed before it gets out of hand.