South Sudanese Children have become the grasses that suffer in the current political upheaval

South Sudanese Children have become the grasses that suffer in the current political upheaval.

By: Abraham Daljang Maker

“When the brothers fight to death, a stranger inherits their father’s estate,” Ibo proverb. As I open this piece with this proverb, I am sure you will be able to understand what I am insinuating.

Since the current crisis unfolded in this country on 15^th December 2013, children continue to be the victims of the circumstances. There are many visible signs that make one almost break down into tears because these innocent souls don’t deserve all these untold sufferings.

Somewhere in Unity state, Jonglei state, Upper Nile state, Lakes, Warrap and the protection of civilians’ sites and IDPs sites across the country; one cannot help seeing Children’s beseeching eyes for mercy. They are suffering from all the ramifications of the current conflicts which they don’t have the slightest hint.  Hunger, acute malnutrition, diseases, rape, and torture both physical and psychological are some of the trials which all the future leaders of this country are going through every day. Seeing the flies hovering on the eyelids of a child, a cage of ribs protruding out, pupils have sunk deep into the skull forming a large crater. And hearing the heart-breaking sound of pain and agony would certainly make you feel as if children are saying: “Please why me? What have I done to deserve all these? Please stop torturing me and care for me, look after me, feed me, dress me well, educate me…” These are some of the words which I think these innocent children would be asking every grown up person whether an actor in the conflict or not.

As far as I know, a nation is defined by its generations, the youth who will continue to keep the name of the country. There can never be a country without children. There can never be a family without children, there can never be a future without children. We all toil every day for the sake of our children, a tree is useless without its fruits and so does a country. I have never seen a man building a house for his children to shelter them from rain and sun and after having done all these, he turns and burns it down leaving the children at the mercy of God. In my culture, when a child is so sick to the point of death, a grandmother or grandfather asks God to let him/her die instead of the child. The reason is that, my people believe that a child death is the worst thing in a mankind history. Do our elders/leaders wish to die instead of their children or is it the contrary?  I know some people don’t see these suffering children as their own children; but I want to assure you that every child in this country is yours though not your biological children. It is your responsibility as a leader to protect them, feed them, educate them and care for them. In the Bible, 1 Kings 3:16-28 where two prostitutes had a case over a child. King Solomon ruled that the child should be cut into two. The loving mother of a child refused to let her child be slain saying she would rather see him alive with the other woman than seeing him being divided into half. This story tells us the real heart of humanity, if we had that woman’s heart in our country, I think the children would not be suffering right now.

Lastly, I just have a few questions which have been lingering in my mind and I thought these would also work for you the reader as a food for thoughts: Did we struggle all for those years so that we can have a space where we can butcher ourselves and bleed to death? Do we know where we came from and where we are going? I also want to close this thought with two proverbs.  “Children are the reward of life,” proverb from Cameroon. “One’s name remains above the grave,” proverb from Ethiopia. The former is clear but the latter, to me means that your name remains on the grave because when you die, your children will carry your names ahead.  Adieu!