Dr John Garang was an appointee of the Ethiopians to the SPLM Feb. 02Featured, Uncategorized35 comments
BY: ElHAG PAUL, RSS, FEB/02/2013, SSN; Manyok Chuol’s article, ‘Dr Garang and the question of South Sudan Founding father: A reply to Elhag Paul,’ published on 12th January 2013 by South Sudan Nation is a clear indication that the Jieng are unwilling to take responsibility for the ravages they’re inflicting on the country. It’s unbelievable that in the face of overwhelming evidence they attempt to hide behind projecting their hatred of others to their own victims (other South Sudanese). Thus it’s crucial to challenge this projection at this point. As Manyok has chosen two themes namely, the issues of Founding Father and ‘anti-Dinka activist’ as his grounds for writing, I’ll oblige. Manyok writes that “South Sudanese who’ve read most of Mr. Paul’s articles will have probably come to the same conclusion, as I (Manyok) have, that this writer harbors deep-seated anti-Dinka sentiments. It’s now also more apparent that Mr. Paul’s various attempts at denigration of Dr. John Garang and his legacy is in fact a subset of the author’s overall revulsion of the Jieng (Dinka).” If I hated the Jieng I’d say it because there’s nothing that can stop me from declaring my feelings. I was born free and will continue to live free which means if someone attempts to oppress me I’ll fight back to maintain my freedom. I don’t hold any ill feelings towards the Jieng or any other groups in our country as I’ve explained before. I’ve no problem with Jieng as human beings but I do have a problem with their behavior which causes unnecessary hurt and pain to people in our country. I know that behavior is acquired through socialization and it’s nurtured. Equally it can be abandoned and forgotten through determination and the will to change. People always applaud good behaviors and promote it while bad behaviors are condemned unequivocally world wide. Behavior generally affects relationships and co-existence among human beings that’s why there are institutions for maintenance of peace like police service and even the United Nations in case of countries. The behavior of Jieng in South Sudan without mincing any words is atrocious and it’s wrong for the Jieng to expect others to put up with it. This is why I’ve sought through some of my writings to provide enough feedback to the Jieng in order for them to change. It is unfortunate that instead of the educated Jieng like Manyok Chuol, Ateny Wek Ateny, Joseph Deng Garang and Kuir e Garang taking responsibility to be agents of change by educating their people; they come out with guns blazing, condoning and defending this atrocious behavior by accusing those of us who’ve acted in good faith as being tribalists, divisive, Nygats, pro-Arab, inciters and so on. If telling Jieng the truth invites tirade and projection of the real problem (Jieng tribalism) on us then let it be. What the Jieng have completely forgotten is that it’s their behavior which is the real problem dividing the people of South Sudan and they’ve a moral duty to address it. Shying away from it isn’t going to endear them to their brothers and sisters in the country, nor will it go away. It’s no good for the Jieng to ask for unity in pretense when they’re set on their horrible ways. It’d save us all a lot of time and trouble if only the Jieng could look at their behavior critically and change accordingly in order to foster harmonious living with the rest of the people of South Sudan. Do I abhor Dr Garang’s legacy because he’s a Jieng as argued by Manyok? The answer is unequivocally ‘No.’ Who am I to question other peoples’ ethnicities? After all I’m just a mortal being who believes in fairness. I don’t hold supremacist and expansionist views such as ‘Born to rule’ and the right to colonize other people and their land respectively. Essentially I believe in fairness which in turn leads to equal opportunities and the right of everybody according to their ability. Thus in regards to Dr Garang I can’t be denigrating him if all I’m doing is pointing out the facts. Any reasonable person will see that there’s no connection between arguing Dr Garang’s corner and my criticism of the Jieng. The two are different. I believe that Dr Garang’s work shouldn’t be vandalized by the likes of Manyok Chuol. Dr Garang’s beliefs and achievement need to be highly valued within context. It mustn’t be deliberately inflated with lies in order for his community to milk it for narrow selfish end to put others down. Dr Garang was a formidable person of high intellect, no argument about it. He’s a suave political operator full of confidence. A speaker of rare breed. Dr Garang knew what he wanted (United New Sudan) and he went for it in spite of the odds against it. Anybody who respects and values Dr Garang won’t reduce his stature by not acknowledging his political belief and objective. To accept Dr Garang is to agree with what he stood for. There can be no cherry picking of the person’s character. It’s here that I’ve great respect for his son, Captain Mabior Garang Mabior, who humbly acknowledges the unionists beliefs of his father. People like Manyok are in fact the destroyers of Dr Garang’s personal legacy and achievements. Dr Garang’s unionist stance made him a renowned politician in the Sudan, the whole of Africa and beyond, and this should not be desecrated. More over it’s of utmost importance that the history of RSS is recorded correctly for the future generations. Distortion of history will mean distortion of future management of RSS. Facts must be stated as they’re without hype. Manyok presenting himself as a tolerant person writes that “this isn’t about denying Elhag Paul the exercise of such right; the issue really is the cowardly deliberate incitement of ordinary citizens against their compatriots, disguised as government criticism.” What a bold assertion? The only problem is that Manyok, like Ateny Wek Ateny, in their quest to divert attention from Jieng tribalism abuse English words freely in their calculated attempt to discourage people from talking about their atrocious behavior. (Please see the following articles: ‘The Oyee Deniers of Truth in RSS,’ http://www.southsudannewsagency.com/opinion/articles/the-oyee-deniers-of-truth-in-rss; ‘Response to Mr Ateny Wek Ateny on Panthou war,’ http://www.southsudannewsagency.com/opinion/articles/response-to-mr-ateny-wek-ateny-on-panthou-war and ‘Kuir Garang! South Sudan is not a nation,’ http://www.southsudannewsagency.com/opinion/articles/kuir-garang-south-sudan-is-not-a-nation.) Ateny in some of his articles accused me of being a racist with genocidal tendencies without providing any evidence at all. Now Manyok is accusing me of incitement without providing any evidence at all in the hope that he’d frighten me into submission. This isn’t going to happen. What have I written that amounts to incitement? As the allegation that Manyok has made is serious I’d appreciate concrete evidence from him. I look forward to having an exhaustive debate on this subject of incitement with him. Manyok further argues that “let’s also remember that President Kiir is a South Sudanese national and if we’re to start holding communities collectively responsible for shortcomings of individuals, Mr Paul should use the same yardstick and hold all South Sudanese, including himself, guilty by association for their government failures as the presidency and government have a South Sudanese national association/identity.” There’re differences between institutions, individuals and tribes. Institutions are formed of governing documents and management bodies such as constitutions and board of directors. Anybody heading such an institution (chief executive) is expected to be guided by the constitution. So long as such a person upholds the constitution for the interest of all members he/she can’t be lumped up with his/her tribe or any other group of association because his/her actions would be fair and legitimate. However, were such a person to violate the constitution for the benefit of his personal family or tribal group with active support of the group then that organization would find it difficult to separate itself from the identity of the beneficiaries. Such is the situation in South Sudan. RSS has a constitution but president Kiir and his party SPLM (Jieng organization) ignores it. Buoyed by Jieng support he violates the constitution and governs according to his personal whims allowing the Jieng to commit all sorts of crimes with impunity. This kind of governance clearly is a tribal one. Since SPLM is the ruling party and the ruling party has already been certified by independent scholars as a Jieng organization (please see above URLs for evidence), it follows that the government is a Jieng government. I can’t see how Manyok or any other Jieng would get out of this mess unscathed. This is the reality of the situation. As Manyok denies that the SPLM is not a Jieng organization the ball is in his court to do the necessary scholarly research to refute the flood of evidence already in existence in the academic domain. So it isn’t me only but there’re a number of institutions out there who’ve already reached this irrefutable conclusion. Wading deeper, the ascent of president Kiir to power wasn’t through the consent of the people of South Sudan in a fair election. SPLM (Jieng organization) rigged itself into power in April 2010. Since coming to power, president Kiir has been promoting Jieng interest at the expense of all others in the country. Here are few examples: 1) The overwhelming majority of the 75 thieves who stole the billions of Dollars from the country’s coffers are Jieng. The refusal of president Kiir to reveal the names of these thieves known to him speaks for itself. 2) The plight of the Murle in Jungle is a direct result of their discrimination by the Jieng in that state. This is exactly the same as what happened to the Didinga people in Eastern Equatoria in late 1990s when the SPLM/A used its entire might to try to destroy the Didinga people for the Jieng to settle in their land. A similar thing is going on in Nimule presently as we argue with each other. 3) The plight of the Fertit in Bahr El Ghazal state. The recent statement made by president Kiir following the carnage of citizens in that state exposes not only his lack of governance skills but his tribalistic nature. 4) Over 80 percent of all the influential positions in the country are awarded to Jieng, many of whom are unqualified. 5) Staffing of ministries of Justice, defense, Home affairs…etc with Jieng, many of whom are unqualified, and 6) Imposition of Jieng police, Jieng legal officers in all the states, including those states where they aren’t resident against the letter of the shoddy constitution. Given the above I, like those who didn’t vote or approve of president Kiir’s government can’t be “guilty by association for their (the) government failures as the presidency and government have a South Sudanese national association/identity.” The government is a Jieng government and the mess it generates is Jieng mess. Full stop. Manyok, drawing from Wikipedia vigorously argues that because Dr Garang formed the SPLM, this automatically should qualify him to be the Father of the nation. “A founding father is widely recognized as a person who’s established an important organization or idea or as one Wikipedia entry broadly defines national founding fathers as: [T]ypically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e. political system form of government, and constitution), of the country. They can also be military leaders of a war of independence that led to the existence of the country [emphasis is mine].” Well, it’s arguable whether Dr Garang really did form the SPLM. When the SPLM was formed Dr Garang was nowhere near the battle fields of South Sudan in Upper Nile. He was with his family in Haj Yusuf in the outskirts of Khartoum North. The SPLM was formed by Bol Kur Alangjok on 30th August 1980. (Please see ‘Experiences in the resistance movement against Arab colonial rule in Sudan,’ authored by Thaan Nyibil and published in 1990 by Vantage Press, New York.) The Ethiopians under Col. Mengisto appropriated the name of SPLM/A from Anya Nya 2 group. They then appointed Dr Garang to it and handed it over to him as their response to Khartoum’s support to the Eritrean rebels. So Dr Garang was an appointee of the Ethiopians to the SPLM/A, far from being founder of the movement as asserted by Manyok. The whole story of Dr Garang, Kerubino Kuanyin, William Nyoun, Arok Thon and Salva Kiir being founders of SPLM/A is a well choreographed lie that doesn’t stand proper scrutiny. Hopefully, independent researchers will pick up this theme for the truth to be established. In the meantime, the evidence suggests otherwise. As with regards to president Kiir’s claim to being one of the founders of SPLM/A, this should be taken with a pinch of salt. (Dr. Peter Adwok) Nyaba in his book, ‘The Politics of Liberation in South Sudan: An Insider’s View,’ published in 1997 by Fountain in Kampala, Uganda, throws serious doubts on this claim. Nyaba, on page 41 of his book, argues that, “For sometime the names of Dr John Garang, Kerubino Kuanyin and William Nyoun were the only ones tagged to the leadership of the Movement in the poems and morale songs of the recruits and SPLA soldiers, and in the administrative structure of the Movement. Then slowly, the names of Salva Kiir Mayardit and Arok Thon Arok were added, as permanent members of the politico-military High Command of the Movement. The inclusion of Salva and Arok was on the grounds that they’re in the clandestine cells back inside the Sudan, something that can’t be proved.” There you are. How could Salva Kiir have been a founding member of the movement and yet a mere member of a clandestine cell inside the Sudan? Frankly speaking, SPLM Oyee is a fraud because the truth about this movement is deliberately hidden to allow the fraudsters to shine. With the foregoing, Manyok’s grounds for glorifying Dr Garang as Father of the Nation based on the ‘founding of the movement,’ falls flat on its face. Therefore, one can only say tough luck to those who want to stitch the lie together because the available evidence doesn’t support it. All in all, the attempt to label those who speak out against Jieng tribalism as ‘anti-Dinka activist(s)’ won’t wash because what the Jieng are doing is only projection of their own tribalism onto their victims. The Jieng are failing to acknowledge and address their weakness by trying to divert the problem onto their victims and unfortunately the world knows the truth. It’s time that they critically look at themselves in order for them to change their atrocious behavior. Painting Dr Garang as Father of the Nation won’t help the Jieng in their struggle to assert themselves as the elites of South Sudan. Only the truth can but there’s no truth here. If Dr Garang is the Father of the Nation, what’d Emelio Tafeng, Paul Ali Gbatala, Saturlino Ohure, Joseph Lagu, etc… be, the Grandfathers of South Sudan? Remember here that it’s an indisputable fact that Joseph Lagu was personally and crucially responsible for the development of Dr Garang educationally and militarily. Elhag Paul [email protected] << Older Newer >> 35 Comments Julius Nyabong February 3, 2013 at 12:17 am Dear Elhag paul, The article you wrote hold nothing but the truth that we witnessed everywhere about the behavior of the groups. The founding fathers, in my thought, should be Tafeng Emelio, Saturlino Ohure or present Joseph Lagu and last is Keribuno kuany bol. You stated the fact, any mindful Dinka should understand the History, not to turn around. Reply Michael Abu February 3, 2013 at 2:50 am Mr. Paul, if you were nationalist, you should know the story of SPLM/A and Anyanya 2, 1. Given the fact that you are denying the existing history of how the Southern Sudan nation came about, I can tell your naive and lack of understanding the history. Many historians, journalists and writers can prove you wrong 100% period. And not only the historians, even the South Sudanese children who were born during the civil war in the 1980s can even prove you wrong. It is a shame when someone that you might think as intellectual wrote an article that’s full with wrong messages and lack of clarity. It would be wise for you to write an article that will make some intellectual like this person who criticizes you to agree with you. During my graduate school, when someone wrote a weak article/thesis it is given an F grade and you deserved to get a fail grade in this story. You need to study the history of Sudan/South Sudan wars, founding fathers before writing next article. Reply Stephen Kuach. February 3, 2013 at 3:42 am Mr.Elhag! may i ask you this question: where was Bol Kur during the war with North which was fought for more than twenty-years? Reply Jim Kal February 3, 2013 at 4:04 am What do we want our young generations to learn from the history of RSS? Are they going to learn the truth about how this nation was defended from the dawn of human settlement or lying to them about final event of 1983? I think Elhag Paul have said all. But people whom their survival is only on lies and bullying other people will never realise it. Reply Deng February 3, 2013 at 8:36 am Are the people like Elhag Paul and Manyok Chuol intellectuals? I doubt, because any learned persons should not express themselves the way they are doing. Like any other people who write like these two, the only thing they are doing is developing and perfecting a deep-rooted hatred which would only elicit an equivalent or more extreme degree of hatred from either way. Stereotyping a tribe is not good, I would rather attack the system of governance for malpractice, be it the tribe I come from or another tribe. Not only is it worthless, it is also dangerous as you will be a part of an evil that will propel us into an abyss of envitable disaster – be constructive and think of a generation to come and why Rwandans are living in harmony instead of dwelling in 1994 tribal massacre – thank God, no tribal killing of that scale has occurred in South Sudan. It does not cause any thing to swallow your pride for the sake of others and God if you like. I am a Dinka but I don’t care if some one is Dinka or not because it is worthless for me anyway, the few people I admire in our government have the majority non-Dinka and number one of these few is not a Dinka even, believe it or not. Suppose I go into their names but like most African democracies it must be a secret or you will be hunted down. I like marshaling non-violence means of change because nothing is impossible and in South Sudan even the smallest tribe must rule. Prime example is USA, there would have been no way Barack Obama should have come to power if the American politics was aligned on race – there is no tribe in US, fortunately for them. I am not academically witty to write any more than this, so, this is my end. Reply Kenyi Alex February 5, 2013 at 12:02 pm Deng, Thank you very much, my brother. May God bless you and that one day you lead this Country. What else Can we Say? It is not wrong to be born a Dinka, because it is God’s choice but, it is wrong to be arrogant because it is a human choice. One day we shall known that we must unite to change South Sudan together. “If you have no enemy at home the enemy outside there can not harm you”. BBC African wise words. Reply Justin February 6, 2013 at 6:21 am Mr. Deng, you are very wise, intellectual, blessed human and a leader. If South Sudanese folks perceived life as you do, our country would grow up in peace, love and multiple blessing from God should cover this nation. I don’t know you physically but I like those kinds of human beings who have a sense of humour to tell the truth. I feel your words bro…truth must be told; truth stays forever but lies fade a way all the time. Good job and keep the dream God bless ya! Reply umoja February 3, 2013 at 8:59 am Dear Elhaj, Well done, keep on pointing the realities for those blindly supporting things that do not even require a microscope for detection. Jieng need to change their mind set otherwise. Look at killings among jieng themselves. Umoja Reply Ajak Makor February 3, 2013 at 1:15 pm Did El Haj ever asked himself how come that the Ethiopians selected Dr Garang out of all the other Southern Sudanese militants? When he prepared his leave from Sudan Armed Forces HQs in Khartoum, he took his entire family from Haj Yousif to Juba, Bor and Itang. If all these things were prepared by the Ethiopians, then definitely they must be God’s agents on earth! No doubt that it is El Haj who is abusing his ability of mastering massive English vocabulary and grammar, otherwise, why would some one who calls himself a scholar like El Haj, leave the simple truth and jump to conclusions of his own supporting himself with utter arrogance? Look to this cunning exclamation, I quote: “If Dr Garang is the Father of the Nation, what’d Emelio Tafeng, Paul Ali Gbatala, Saturlino Ohure, Joseph Lagu, etc… be, the Grandfathers of South Sudan?” Certainly if South Sudan is looking for a grandfather, it is Rev. Saturlino Lahure who recruited Joseph Lagu himself while the latter was enjoying his leave in Nimule. Lagu was executing what was perceived by Rev. Saturlino who inspired the rest of all the list you mentioned including Joseph Oduho. Lagu was and is a faithful South Sudanese who chose to identify with them, he discovered Garang and nurtured him for reasons he knows better. Well, Garang was advocating for a united Sudan on new basis, and negotiated his position in the CPA, so when the new basis were not met, he didn’t leave the answer for luck, he put it in writing; “Sudan would not be the same again, and it would be up to you (us) who voted, to determine whether you would select with all your capacities to be a second class citizen, certainly no.”. That was Garang and El Haj is free to call him the Uncle of the Nation or the Cousin, but certainly, Garang was prepared for all the cases being it unity or secession. The question is, what is all the fuss about? Reply Dan February 3, 2013 at 6:14 pm El Hag paul is another name of lam Akol. (EDITOR: No, he isn’t, he isn’t even a Lam Akol’s adherent). Reply Mtoto February 3, 2013 at 7:22 pm Elhag, The Bible clearly says; the truth can set you free. In your article you always wrote is full of lies. Try hard to improve the way you post your article and writing against Dinka tribes as whole, but not an individual person whom you have dispute with. Or otherwise, you will be proven that you are running mad. Reply Issack Deng February 3, 2013 at 9:43 pm Dr. John will remain this Nation’s Founder. period. Reply Joe February 4, 2013 at 12:29 pm Precisely all the arguments presented above obviously require some amicable solutions. The present administration is trying to address that by initiating peace and National Reconciliation. However, I am concerned about the approach the Government is pursuing National reconciliation alone won’t heal all our grievances. what is appropriate is the South African Approach. Truth and Reconciliation. We are lucky to have the South African Solution and Bishop Desmond Tutu with all his team are there for us to consult or even to get them involved. Let us not waste time building further problems for us. God bless South Sudan. Reply Dinka land February 4, 2013 at 6:37 am Any person who hates Dinka should go off the earth and heaven. Nowhere that Dinka can not be found whether earth or heaven. Dinka should not be hated because they liberated coward people of South Sudan. Without Dinka there would have been no South Sudan totally. So Dinkas left their homes and joined the movement in large groups and took arms to liberate the cowards that are writings nonsense now. Even God knows without Dinka, no South Sudan. He put his help when seeing a large number oF Dinkas sacrificing themselves to end slavery which was accepted by other tribes. Some went to Khartoum and some went East Africa for hiding and schooling. Reply Joseph February 4, 2013 at 6:46 am El-Haj, what you have written is very good. However, i would like to tell you that whether you like it or not, Dr. Garang is the greatest man of our Country and will be remembered as the Father of the Nation. Lagu and the others started the war in Torit in 1955 but our final freedom came through Dr. Garang’s hard work. Whether Dr. Garang was for united Sudan or Separation is just the same. Though you do not like his fellow men (Dinkas) but love and praise Dr. Garang as an individual period. Reply Pawan Lodyong February 4, 2013 at 9:13 am Elhag, you have stated it well bro, that, “If Dr Garang is the Father of the Nation, what’d Emelio Tafeng, Paul Ali Gbatala, Saturlino Ohure, Joseph Lagu would be, etc…” I bet you are misled by SPLM/DC’s uncle of yours who happened to be personally not comfortable with Dr. Garang and Dinka in general. If those that you mentioned with the exception of Lagu were alive, they can prove you wrong already as Lagu himself did acknowledged who the father of the nation is….. better stop fooling yourself around ‘coz you will never achieve your goal of backbiting Dinka tribe. I know for a fact that you have no audacity whatsoever, to face reality on the ground but since you chose to talk thru’ pen, consider yourself a croaking frog in a water which this community is drinking, but not giving a damn!! Pawan Lodyong. Reply Kuot February 4, 2013 at 11:06 am Thank God, El Hag Paul, is not the only writer in S. Sudan. El Hag Paul aka David de Chand will lie as much as he wants but he will never convince majority of S. Sudanese about his rants and lies. El Hag Paul, continue to lie but remember lies have short legs as the saying goes. Reply Ernest February 4, 2013 at 12:59 pm Bol Kur as the first Revolutionalist against the Arabs in Akobo year 1980 overthrew him .sieged and later killed him for the reasons known to them that time…!!? Reply Mr truth February 4, 2013 at 11:36 pm Editor why are you not posting my comments? Reply info@southsudannation February 5, 2013 at 1:06 pm which are and where are your comments? Editor Reply Kong Puok Tongluot. Finland February 5, 2013 at 12:15 pm I am very sorry to those who have left their own business, and disturbing venerable people of newly country, South Sudan. Those commentators not the writers or authors. In respect to you please, don’t concentrate on tribalism agitations. Furthermore, i am informing you like Mr Elhag Paul, Julius Nyabong, Michael Abu, Stephen Kuach, Jim Kal, Deng, Umoja, Ajak Makor, Dan, Mtoto, Iack, Joe, Dinka Land, Joseph, Pawan, Lodyong, Kuot and Ernest. Let Dr Garang be our father. Because you know that in any dancing it should have a leader. We can’t dance like Shuluk. Now our people they don’t need so and so without benefit, they seek for health care, food, education, and security. Reply Eastern February 5, 2013 at 3:05 pm Kong, I have always known you as an ETHIOPIAN. I don’t think anything from independent minded South Sudanese that will hurt an ETHIOPIAN like you will be taken lying flat. DINKAS are arrogant; they don’t want to reason and accept the truth. This case of arrogance is being reported to the country by the global deportation from Israel, Canada, no jobs in Australia, no rent in East Africa, etc. Let’s debate maturely. I studied Intermediate 3 in the former Sudan. Reply Oyet Lolikachong February 5, 2013 at 4:14 pm Those who have been following Elhag’s writings, will agree that he writes the truth. On the contrary, those who hate the truth are the ones who hate Elhag’s writings. There is nothing wrong with the Dinka people and no one hates them. The only issue that we have with the Dinka is their bad behavior towards other tribes that needs to be addressed. Being the majority in the country is not a licence to dominate others, belittle, orchestrate corruption, or threaten small tribes. There are so many things that happened during the war, and if you ask those who took refuge in east Africa and other countries, they will tell you that they left south Sudan because of the horrendous behavior of the SPLA (not Jalaba) which was dominated by the Dinka. It is this moral imperative that Elhag alluded to in his writings. We need to read every article carefully and objectively, not just reacting because the word Dinka is mentioned. Just like the late Isaiah Abraham, Elhag and James Okuk are our lights that shine in the darkness but we can not comprehend them because we are in dire need of materials. The war to liberate south Sudan began long before John Garang came to the scene, and we should not tear our country just because of who is the “father of the Nation.” What we need to worry about is whether our new nation will stand corruption, nepotism, tribal conflicts, and onslaught from the north. The rest history will tell. Reply lukat February 5, 2013 at 7:37 pm It is easier said than done! The author is a true nationalist. Better face the truth than brainwashing the entire nation be it in Equatorians, Bhar al gazalians or Upper Nilians. We are South Sudanese. Time to speak the truth, nothing but the truth and develop our nation. Remember we will all die but RSS will live forever! Reply Akwat February 5, 2013 at 10:30 pm Arguably, it doesn’t matter for me who should be the father of our nation, but I think what we should be aware of is that our nation’s history must be written accurately and correctly. In South Sudan, we do have historian personnel who can handle this issue. I agree with Oyet that El hag Paul is addressing one of the diseases that would not allow our country to move forward, the behavior. Paul is not against the Dinka as people in SS, but rather he is against their behavior and the way they run the country as majority in the government. Reply Peter Madual February 6, 2013 at 2:56 am Kong Puok, John Garang sought an absolute tyranny over the people of South Sudan. Further, he assassinated our military commanders and our political figures such as Samuel Gai Tut, Benjamin Bol, Joseph Oduho and many more. Therefore, it is most irrational to call him our father. Reply Dan February 6, 2013 at 6:58 pm Peter madual, The last time I read the history of the splm/spla, Gai Tut and Joseph Oduho were not assassinated but were killed in military confrontations. I don’t know what your understanding of assassination is. Gai was killed leading Anyanya II forces against Spla and Uncle woas killed fighting for the Nasirists (Riek and Lam). Reply South Mole February 11, 2013 at 2:06 am Dan, You’re a despicable liar. Joseph Oduho was assassinated by Dr. Garang, that is why Dr. Garang doesn’t deserve to be one of the founding fathers. Reply Oryem February 12, 2013 at 12:17 am South Mole You conveniently decided to ignore historical fact that Oduho was killed in combat in Kongor (Twic East County). Joseph Oduho was respected but was a hero turned villain. How do you pitch alliance camp with Riek Machar and Lam Akol? – arguably the most malicious combo South Sudan ever had. Ever bothered to ask how many civilians were massacred (or assassinated in your words) by Oduho camp during their besiege of Kongor and Bor? Please get out of your tribal backside and smell the coffee: Oduho, like many brothers (aka Lagu, Oduho……) from Greater Equatoria Area started well but decided to chicken out when the stakes were highest. Reply Eastern February 6, 2013 at 3:01 pm It pains me a lot to see those who participated in the governance of the region that now forms the new republic (RSS) are not accorded any recognition. Abel Alier, Gen (Rtd) Lagu, etc… are not mentioned anywhere by the current SPLM government. The leaders in the current government continue lying that the new republic is starting from ‘scratch’ when we all know that the buildings housing the legislative national assembly, ministries, senior government residences, etc were built way back during the days of Gen. Lagu and Alier. Why are these two men not thanked for their efforts for rendering national services to the people of RSS? SPLM/A is continuing with its lies of the bush war days!!! Reply Choromke Jas February 7, 2013 at 1:16 pm Paul, you have done it again! The bible is replete with examples of those who do not listen to the prophets only to be doomed. It is also said that those whom God wants to destroy, he first makes them mad (with power?). At independence, the Arabs were behaving exactly like the Jieng; arrogant, domination of sudanisation policy, refusal for federation etc. In the end the Arab hegemony bit the dust. At least the Arabs were prepared for their domination of the South. What do Jieng have as a rationale to lord it on other groups in the South? None. In fact, people in other regions of the South pity the Jieng as they struggle to superficially change their characters. In the South anybody driving an expensive car is more likely to be a Jieng. A man struggling in dark suit in the Juba sun, is likely to be a Jieng. etc. Superficial attempt to appear sophisticated without succeeding. There is no justification for the Jieng to behave the way they do. Like the Arabs, their hegemony will be short-lived. But where will the Jieng go without Equatorians? Who are your kin in the entire Africa like the Arabs who had theirs in the Mid East? You will be isolated, and remain backward for a very long time to come! Time to calm down, my brothers and sisters. Reply Francis February 8, 2013 at 10:30 am Dear commentators’ I would us rather focus our energies on thinking how to build our country as one united people. Pointing out the faults and stopping short will not serve us anything, let us rather look forward, the people we do not think will help now, will eventually be out of the picture in no time. The only challenge is intellectuals sawing the seeds of destruction, this is unfortunate in the name of telling the truth! You do not “Build” a country. By gossiping and back-biting, none of the people we want or do not want are angels, they have their own limitations. To build this country: A country is not buildings and infrastructure as important as those are. A country is not Laws, though it needs those too. A country is people, first, most and always. People need homes, jobs, but mostly they need to have something in common with each other. This is what such people we call intellectuals are destroying, they are sowing seeds of hatred even though these were always there. Let us instead search for common ground and set a stage for change. I just want to ask a question here: who are the real enemies for the people of south Sudan? The so called scholarly writtings are not informed writings any-way. They are written by people looking for easy conclusions. Our struggle not something you can tag to some and leave others out, we have contributed in one way or the other. Some did by going for studies, others by running to neighbouring countries others still stayed put in Sudan as civilians or IDPs in northern Sudan. Still others were fighting in the wild bushes of Sudan. Not all did go to the bush for the same thing, but the end result is we are FREE AT LAST. Hence, all the means were justified, even when our people were killed in the ghost houses in Juba, Malakal and Wau to name but a few butchering houses ran by Sudan government. South Sudan has natural resources; it also has a tenacious enemy in its north which covets those resources. Properly used those resources can allow South Sudan to become a country to its people, but only if it can avoid a war with the north and a far too typical government of its own that spends the money on itself rather than its people in the south. Reply kayiertut February 10, 2013 at 11:52 am “The same leader who fired his first Bullets on separatists and killed prominent leaders for this cause is now on scene to be named as the father of the separation and nation.” Let us critically think over it. Reply Dan February 12, 2013 at 12:03 am south mole, Do not call me a liar because I do not like lying. if I ask you to tell south sudanese the place where uncle Oduoh was killed, you will not be able to do so. And John Garang was not anywhere closer to that place at the time. do your research before calling others liars. plus can we say Salva kiir is the father of this Nation because he did not kill Oduho? It is my opinion though. Reply John Luet February 12, 2013 at 10:23 am Why are we publishing hate articles, inciting tribalism among the learned and promoting self esteem? I am very sorry for many of us. We seem to be better than the elders (founders) but on the contrary, we are worse than dogs. Who is not the founding father of this nation? Fishermen, tribal leaders, women, children and soldiers…………….? My dad joined the SPLA since i was a kid and up to date he hasn’t received any coin from the V.8 driven government. Do you guys know he says when asked? “Loyalty and Patriotism.” Many unaccountable innocent soldiers died for the cause and we are mad about one man. Let us mind our business. Anyway, thank God we survived it till this time. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. 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