South Sudan at Heart

I am a German by Choice, did you know that? By: Abraham Daljang Maker I have never been to Germany, but some events which happened since I was a boy took me there spiritually, but not physically. It was one Sunday in 1999 when I met German friend, this was during the Bible study. As a boy, I had no idea of who is a German, American, Briton, etc. But all I knew was only “kawaja” a white person, but little did I know that my first white friend was a German. German was the second foreign language which I was able to say a few words such as “Danke, guten Abend, guten Morgen, and guten tak” since 1999. (Not sure if spelling is correct.) In 2000, when I was in primary seven, I got a pen pal from Germany; Bernard was also in Primary school in Germany and is a brother to Christa, my first German friend. Through Christa, I would send hand written letters to my pen pal. It was such an  amazing  moment to receive a letter from a white boy of my age from unknown part of the wor...

Children of South Sudan need better education, but not petty businesses By: Abraham Daljang Maker JUBA:  child labour in South Sudan is reaching its highest peak in the capital Juba for instance, you see children of all age doing any businesses for their survival. When you pay a close attention in the morning during rush hour, you see young boys riding commercial motorcycles carrying people who are going to do their businesses. These boys are too young to be doing that kind of business, but no one seems to notice this or maybe people see it but shrug it off as none of their business. One day as I was on hurry to the city centre, I saw a boy riding a motorcycle, he stopped to ask me if I needed a lift; I asked him how old he was and he told me he is sixteen. He refused to answer many questions about why he chose to be a motorcyclist at that tender age instead of going to school. These children are at risk in many ways: Firstly, they are too young to control the motorc...

Could the culture of violence be rooted in the language we speak? By: Abraham Daljang Maker JUBA: there seems to be a link between the hostility most of us have and the language we speak. I am not good in speaking Arabic but I have something little which I can use to order food and strike small conversation with other people. Sometimes I feel ashamed of myself because everyone in South Sudan speaks it to certain level, but I console myself due to the fact it is not an official language although everyone prefers it informally. To cut this story short, I am just wondering why people sound impolite when speaking Arabic. I have observed this for quite a while, and sometimes I fail to distinguish between quarrels and normal conversation. I am not being bias about this particular language, nor am I naïve about it but there is something peculiar about the way people speak it. When I hearing people speaking, it all turn as heated debate even when it is normal conversation, everyone ...

World press freedom day, what does it mean to south Sudanese journalists? By: Abraham Daljang Maker: JUBA: South Sudanese journalists join the rest to the world to celebrate the world press freedom day. But what lesson do we learn from this crucial day as journalists?  There are many ways of defining what freedom means, but in my own view, I can say that freedom is when you choose to do something without intimidation and torture both physically and emotionally. Therefore I would say press freedom is when journalists execute their daily activities without being harassed by authorities. What then does it mean to have press freedom? Does it mean that journalists should write any crap with believe that there is freedom in press? Do we as journalists have to just speak our minds about what we see is best for us without catering for the interest of the public? Do we have to strive for economic gain without seeking the truth? The answer to all these questions is a big No. ...

South Sudan needs peace through brotherly love By: Abraham Daljang Maker JUBA: South Sudan plunged itself into an ugly and senseless war late last year. The fighting was caused by some elements with personal interest but to many people’s dismay, it took a wrong dimension that will ever be regretted in the history of this country.   It would been better for those who want to climb the ladder of success to call upon each other   to fight in a boxing ring so that we the innocents just see them punching each other on the face so that we only cheer them up. And the winner would just walk away with champion waist belt. But to my heart breaking, it is the innocent people who are being killed, being amputated, forced out of their homes to take refuge, Oh My God! May God have mercy on the innocents!      It was hearsay to me but I saw it all today, people walked on crutches with that helpless sight. I could not help holding my tears back, because al...

South Sudan’s clans’ conflict has become a daily bread By: Abraham Daljang Maker RUMBEK: Communal fighting in Lakes State, South Sudan has become the part and parcel of the daily life among different clans. “Lakes state has presented a very bad image, we are killing each other every day; it is high time we sat down and repent our sins and purify ourselves with this Holy Communion,” Pastor Isaac Maluth said during the Holy Communion English services.                      Pastor Isaac Malueth condemning killing during the Holy Communion service, 6/4/2014 Despite the being dominated by one tribe (Dinka), Lakes state has become a home of clan conflicts that rocks its social order daily. In fact, the whole affair has become a daily bread and people are totally used to gun shoots, death has become as normal as eating banana. One lives like an antelope that does not know where and will lion strike, people go to bed at night ...

The Ugly facts inside South Sudan, could Isaiah’s prophesy to true? By: Abraham Daljang Maker RUMBEK: sometimes you wonder if prophesies are true but to some extent you seem to agree with them when you see things unfolding in a broad day. I have been contemplating on the issues in the Bible, especially the book of Isaiah, chapter 18, you see the main heading which reads; “a prophecy against Cush,” that is in new international version NIV but in other versions, it says, a prophecy against Sudan. This leaves you speechless and wonders if the prophet meant the present day Sudan and its neighbouring South Sudan or it was a Biblical Sudan which we may not have on this planet. If you have read through this particular verse, you get description of the people in verse 2 which depicts “tall and smooth-skinned, fear far and wide and aggressive nation…”  in verse 6, you find a heart-breaking things that these people will be eaten by birds and wild animals. This description clearl...