Unity with fairness and justice for all
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By Jacob K. Lupai
May 11, 2011 — This article is in response to an article, The New
Nation and the Encouragement of Tribalism, by one William Sunday D
Tor. The article appeared in the Citizen newspaper of Sunday May 8,
2011. William Sunday D Tor was responding to my earlier article, The
New Nation, which had appeared in the Citizen newspaper of Monday May
2, 2011. Incidentally the article, The New Nation, was reprinted by
the Citizen on the back page on the very day William Sunday D Tor was
responding.
In his response William Sunday D Tor imagines that I am divisive and
worries unnecessarily about a repeat of the Rwanda genocide in South
Sudan. In his imagination William Sunday D Tor assumes I am inciting
ethnic violence.
First of all I would like to make it clear that I do not discuss
personalities but issues. I agree that journalists and writers for
that matter should work for unity and peace among our people. However,
this does not mean that those journalists and writers should turn a
blind eye to injustice. When injustice is not nipped in the bud time
will only tell how unity and peace among people may not be
jeopardized.
Indeed in power sharing the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) is
clear where power was distributed 70 per cent to the Sudan People’s
Liberation Movement (SPLM), 15 to the National Congress Party (NCP)
and the rest to the other southern political parties. However, was
that a warrant for one ethnic group to dominate? Let’s work for unity
with fairness and justice for all but not for unity with greed that
will only breed antagonism.
William Sunday D Tor’s conclusion that there were people who
sacrificed more than others and so that should be reflected in power
sharing is grossly erroneous and misleading to say the least. If
William Sunday D Tor and the likes of him did not know they should now
know that all ethnic groups regardless of region of origin sacrificed
and suffered in the liberation war. There is no such thing that the
fruit of liberation war should be shared proportionally according to
assumptions of who contributed the most to the liberation effort. This
could only be reflected in looting of resources and land grabbing when
laws are disregarded.
South Sudanese should all know that a liberation war is fought for
justice, equality and democracy. During the liberation war major
battles were fought with the active participation of our brave men and
women across ethnic and regional divide. It is therefore naivety of
first order for others to think they are the liberators hence the
lion’s share of the fruit of the liberation war is their god-given
right. William Sunday D Tor should at least try to know who the most
were crossing to the Jallaba in the heat of battle.
The fear of a federal system of governance which is turning into
paranoia is nothing but a way of jealously guarding that imagined but
flaw god-given right. At least the likes of William Sunday D Tor are
to some extent positive about a federal system. To quote William
Sunday D Tor, “Federalism is one of decentralization elements, where
powers are shared between the central government and the states and
where the central government could delegate and devolve some of its
powers to states and counties, such that, the citizens could
participate effectively in decision making of their country for better
delivering of services”. Thump up William Sunday D Tor for this open
bold acknowledgement of the advantage of federalism.
People who advocate a federal system precisely understand it the way
it is quoted above. However, those with a hidden agenda are vehemently
opposed to a federal system with the belief that they would lose their
assumed god-given position of hegemony. What these reactionaries do
not understand is that the Jallaba tried all the tricks they could
master but failed miserably to realize the dream of dominating in the
South. The South has already separated from the North precisely
because of the same type of reactionaries who want to wear the shoes
of the Jallaba in modern day South Sudan.
In conclusion, I would like to assure William Sunday D Tor that I am
not tribalistic and so I am not divisive. As a writer I am conscious
of my responsibility as an ambassador of my country at all times. I
want a unity that is broad based on a solid ground and that is of
course unity with fairness and justice for all. I would describe
myself as a democrat and stand for the common interest of all. I do
not believe in class division where some assume a god-given right to
lord over others. Above all I am a development practitioner and would
like to see development taking place in all our counties in delivering
basic services. A federal system will be helpful in our endeavours for
equitable development in promoting unity and peace among our people.
Centralisation in the name of imposed unity is a sure way of
instability and worse of dividing people and breaking up the country.
Those who equate federalism with tribalism are clearly enemies of
development and unity. All democrats, progressives and revolutionaries
should unite for a better future for all. As a New Nation we should be
scientific and forward looking for prosperity for all in the Republic
of South Sudan where the vision is unity with fairness and justice for
all.
The author can be reached at [email protected]
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