Dialogue with South Sudanese (part 4) Photo: Reuters
By Wani Tombe Lako June 11, 2013 (SSNA) -- As a very informed and concerned citizen of South Sudan, I am sincerely very extremely disturbed as regards the future of my country. I expressed this concern, in a different way, in a letter, dated the 18th October 2012, to His Excellency the President of the Republic of South Sudan, via our Ambassador in Khartoum. I wanted to show the President that, I am not an enemy of my peoples. The expression of my political opinions, about the secession of South Sudan from the rest of the Sudan, does not amount to absolute treason against my peoples. The meaning of referendum is that, the peoples concerned shall have to make choices. This necessarily entails expression of heterogeneous political opinions. Once that happens, the majority opinion holders do not suddenly become the saints; and the minority opinion holders the devils as it were. This appears to be the case in our country. I wrote the said letter to the President, to indicate that, I totally and absolutely abide by the choice of the majority in my country with all its legal, constitutional, security, moral, and social implications. However, the response of the government of South Sudan via our Ambassador in Khartoum has been rather surprising to me. The Ambassador told me that, the National Security Services in South Sudan as well as the Military Intelligence would like to talk to me in Juba. They alleged that I am in active security service of the government of Sudan. This is absolutely untrue. How can I be in the active service of the Republic of Sudan Security Services if all South Sudanese have been dismissed from all types of public and even some private institutions in the Sudan as a result of the secession of South Sudan from the rest of the Sudan? The fact that I am a retired Infantry Army Colonel, from the hitherto united Sudan Army, does not make me a traitor. There are many more senior, similar, and junior ranks, who were in the same army, and who have since March 2012, been absorbed into the SPLA, after the secession of South Sudan from the rest of the Sudan. These men are not traitors. These are South Sudanese nationals and patriots. This is also true of all those South Sudanese who were working in the civil service in the hitherto united Sudan, and who are now working in Sovereign South Sudan. The insistence of the Security Organs in South Sudan that I am an enemy is just politicised personal hatred and nothing more. How can I, a single individual, be a threat to the entire South Sudanese nation? How can I be a threat to the nation if I have declared my allegiance to the same nation? How can I be a threat to the whole country as an academic civilian, without an army? How can I fight the whole SPLA army with chalks and ink? My dear citizens of South Sudan, just because of my political opinions, the government of South Sudan has refused to issue me with my citizenship documents, that is, my passport and nationality documents. That means, the government have subjectively decided that, I am not a South Sudanese citizen, just because I hold different political opinions. Find below the letter I wrote to the President of the Republic of South Sudan:- 18th October 2012 H.E. Lt. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit The President of the Republic of South Sudan; Through H.E. Mayen Dut Wol The Ambassador of the Republic of South Sudan; in the Republic of Sudan Your Excellency the President of the Republic of South Sudan; Ref: Allegiance to the Sovereign Republic of South Sudan; and to the President; and the Peoples of the Republic of South Sudan I am writing to your Excellency; to declare my total and absolute allegiance to the Sovereign Republic of South Sudan; to you my President; and to the entire peoples of the Republic of South Sudan. With this letter, I am putting my knowledge; skills; experiences; and energies; under the total and absolute disposal of the Sovereign Republic of South Sudan; under your leadership; for the benefits of all the peoples of the Republic of South Sudan. Now that the entire peoples of the Republic of South Sudan have voted for the establishment of the Sovereign Republic of South Sudan; I honour; respect; and support this noble decision; and I shall not indulge in any acts or omissions; which tantamount to a threat to the life of the Sovereign Republic of South Sudan. I denounce all acts of violence against the State of South Sudan; against the government of South Sudan; against the person of the President of the Republic of South Sudan; against all officials including the Cabinet of the Republic of South Sudan; and against the peoples of South Sudan; and against the integrity of the Republic of South Sudan. I support all democratic approaches; to issues of governance in the Republic of South Sudan; including press freedom; for the expression of lawful opinion; in the interest of the Republic of South Sudan, and its entire peoples. Your Excellency Mr. President; I am confident that; with my current knowledge; skills; and experiences; I shall be a net positive addition to my brothers and sisters; who are already working very hard, under your leadership; to make the Republic of South Sudan a prosperous and a happy place to live in; for the entire peoples of the Republic of South Sudan. It is time all of us put our energies to the best use in South Sudan; for the benefit of our peoples now; and for our posterities. I sincerely believe that; politics is not for making personal fortunes and accumulation of wealth for the self. Political offices are for the benefit of the common South Sudanese men; women; and children in the villages and towns of South Sudan. These should be the values that we bring into political offices in South Sudan. I want to play my role in the building of positive South Sudan; within the spirit of these kinds of values; for the total harmony of the entire peoples of South Sudan. I want to be a net positive addition in the development processes of my country; without very much thinking of my political colour. As a son of South Sudan; my love; allegiance; defense of; and sacrifice for the Republic of South Sudan; is more than my mere declaration of membership of any political party; in the Republic of South Sudan. I am a technocrat who wants to serve the Sovereign Republic of South Sudan; under your leadership. I am capable of: effectively; efficiently; honestly; and loyally advising the government of the Republic of South Sudan; in all aspects pertaining to socio-economic development; most importantly; general rural development where more than 90% of the peoples in South Sudan live in rural areas; and in general matters of laws (Constitutional Law; Criminal Law; Human Rights Law; Land Law; and all relevant laws in the country) within the remit of State Practice. In matters of rural development; I have attained international recognition; as an expert and specialist in this field; and I do not see any reason why I should not spent the rest of my life; helping my peoples; through their government in South Sudan; under your leadership; to positively develop. The author is Professor of Social and Rural Development and Lecturer in Laws. He be contacted at [email protected] -- 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]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/SouthSudanKob/CAJb14orc3gbCB5ha34zN7%2BnjRgqCYt2CoVOoQKpbeR4FsE67Ag%40mail.gmail.com?hl=en-US. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
