The Era of Heroic Errors in South Sudan Aug. 07 Featured <http://www.southsudannation.com/category/featured/>, Uncategorized <http://www.southsudannation.com/category/uncategorized/> 16 comments <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/#comments>
By Deng Mangok Ayuel, AWEIL, Northern Bahr el Ghazel State, AUG/07/2015, SSN; In South Sudan, a writer or columnist faces two choices: turn away from reality to avoid intimidation and insecurity or conquer the reality and face its complexity at his/her own risk. However, a writer is supposed to take side with the powerless. And it’s rational to balance an opinion piece or story because there is no moral obligation to take side with oppressor or suppressor in a situation where things are not going well in our country. Before I’m accused of being a Dinka, I urge my readers to face the reality as they go through this piece. This is a time to go against all political odds, time to call a spade a spade. If we could judge the current war in South Sudan by the standards of political enmity within the SPLM, one would say individuals in the ruling party against their own party principles waged the war. The rumor of ethnical rivalries and power struggles between Dinka and Nuer as ‘believed’ by the westerners is merely an imposture. There is no Dinka against Nuer as there is no Nuer against Dinka on ethnic lines. We must set apart national issues or politics from ethnic dimensions. It’s also a big zero to believe that the current war in the country has a just tone. A rebellion led by looters is like a morning dew. Is Dr Machar a right man to lead the rebellion if people are tired of President Kiir and the SPLM? Dr Machar was part of corrupt government in Juba when he was Vice President. He was in the list of alleged corrupt leaders in South Sudan. So he shouldn’t deceive grown up men and women with lifeless propaganda that he is an alternative for presidency. We made our country a bastion of plights. Everything is fading into mist in our country. Legacy is almost erased by power hungry leaders who mutinied against legitimate government, corruption has rooted itself in our public institutions and constructed lies become truth on social media for individuals who don’t want to believe in the history of rebellion with Dr Riek but interested to get a new story of the same coin in the new nation. Poverty has already reduced many of us to potential beggars. Many people fled the country. Masses were forced to live in the UMMISS camps. Others kept starving in their own huts in the villages due to lack of food. Call it Riekiiracy’s political era of errors. Are we on the axe of evil? Besides, Lakes State is another unique place with its component of insecurity. I call it a ‘component of insecurity’ because there is no smoke without fire. Something must be wrong somewhere or there is a troubler somewhere. On the other hand, coopted loyalists, MPs and toothed-public servants are the internal political enigma to our people. These people built political hives on social media and began waxing the public with unhealthy political rumors in order to instigate chaos for political gains. People are complicated. There is no devil than a man. The real devil isn’t far from an educated person. Politicians are also different people – they devised ideas to become law they don’t follow and pleasingly enshrined their doings for the sake of society. Some of the law enforcing agencies are trouble igniters. So where is the real devil? In a football game, a team is expected to defeat the rivals. Those who kept killing their own people are the losers. The societal complexities and the nature of killing in Lakes state are frustrating. Oh no, Rumbek is not the only place where there is insecurity. Go to Yambio and the villagers in Nzara will tell you their own stories of insecurity. Or go to Warrap state and the Aguok or Apuk section of Dinka becomes the warriors of their own styles. Are we the mixtures of wrong generation at the right time in the new nation? Do you know the kind of South Sudan we are creating through mutiny? Our political branded brains are allergic to democracy – that is why there is rebellion. Some of our politicians who aspired to fulfill their political interests and dreams through power struggle, war and corruption have made democracy to be the wickedly weakest system of government for South Sudanese ever tried. Democracy becomes a system of government where some of our people wake up in the morning and decide to loot public resources without accountability. It’s the government where people form consortiums within the ruling party for trouble-makings. It’s the government where its security agencies unlawfully humiliate and arrest activists and journalists to please their bosses. Now that people are afraid when they aren’t supposed to be afraid of their government, however, things may remain unchanged for a long time. It’s a democratic government that should be afraid of its people because democracy is the government of the people, by the people and for the people. In heaven, all the interesting people are missing. Greatest poet, Aristotle didn’t find them there. And in South Sudan, Aristotle found everything – corruption, tribalism, nepotism and rebellion, all in one mind. As the saying goes, “the greatest patriotism is to tell a truth when your country is behaving dishonorably, foolishly, viciously.” Alas, we are mouth-folded. You can’t tell some people that their algebra or political arithmetic is wrong or say that all SPLM factions shall one day unite and the losers will be the innocent people. We are in the era of Achebe’s Nigeria, ‘this house has fallen. Maybe, but some people are living fabulously wealthy lives amid the ruin. And others survive and get by. How? It’s a mystery. The secret lies in the layers of millions up millions of networks, personal ties, family links and ethnic loyalties’. Or call me a liar. Deng Mangok Ayuel is a South Sudanese blogger and columnist. He lives in Aweil and can be reached via [email protected] << Older <http://www.southsudannation.com/uganda-army-invades-eastern-equatoria/> Newer >> <http://www.southsudannation.com/do-the-lives-of-the-south-sudanese-really-matter-to-kiir-and-machar-or-anyone-else/> 16 Comments 1. defender August 8, 2015 at 12:42 am <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/#comment-1187966> Dear Author, Your piece suffers from many things. I will highlight only two here: first, the issue of corruption is something all of us are talking about. However, as a learned person and articulate in your assertion, corruption cases are not tired in the court of public opinion. You convict those who are corrupt in a competent court and then you can shame them as much as one likes. In the case of South Sudan, as you have correctly noted in your piece, there are ample allegation about corruption but there has never been a case that has been tried in the court of law to warrant your wrath against those who are not convicted. It does without saying, those who are corrupt label those who are also corrupt but the only difference is that, those who are owning power define who is corrupt or not. This is a poor argument on your side. Second, the issue of credibility and reform. Let me give you an example to contemplate upon. Paul, the apostle that spread the Gospel of Good News to the gentile was a sinner. Jesus trusted him with the church. Why not someone in the capacity of Dr. Machar, if he is a repentant reformer? This question has not been answered by those who see, to claim that Kiir is a saint amongst all the evils in South Sudan. It is beats the logic to try to convince sound minded South Sudanese that what they are seeing is a figment of their imaginations. This is fool hardy a preposition! So, this argument is also deficient in its credibility. On the issues of legitimacy, credibility and the supposed representativeness of the current regime in Juba, the fact is glaringly abundant for all to see that the regime is currently forcing itself on South Sudanese, assuming expired legitimacy as a means of derailing any meaningful agenda of reforming the state and building institutions that builds prosperity for the people. So, it is sarcastic at best trying to explain the obvious. As such, the issue of legitimacy is contrived based on a sense of self deception nothing more. Reply <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/?replytocom=1187966#respond> - Raan Naath August 9, 2015 at 5:34 am <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/#comment-1188747> Deng Mangok Ayuel, As much as you suffer from self-conscious Dinka bias as you indicated the possibility of being accused as a tribal Dinka man, you are truly a typical tribal Dinka writer, resembling your tribal Jieng Council of Elders. See how you started with senseless blackmailing and tribal sentiment below. “Is Dr Machar a right man to lead the rebellion if people are tired of President Kiir and the SPLM? Dr Machar was part of corrupt government in Juba when he was Vice President. He was in the list of alleged corrupt leaders in South Sudan. So he shouldn’t deceive grown up men and women with lifeless propaganda that he is an alternative for presidency.” Well, first of all, Dr. Riek Machar did not make a coup. He declared himself a candidate for SPLM chairmanship in a constitutional democratic manner. Salva Kiir reacted in a dictatorial manner and called such declaration an “indiscipline” and started the war. So where did Dr. Machar go wrong here? Again, if Dr. Machar was not the right person to correct Kiir as you put it, then why were you good people silent about Kiir’s bad deeds? Or do you mean people should just keep silent as Kiir was given indefinite chance to ruin the country? Isn’t this a blackmailing, in a senseless, non-caring way. You must be sick! Reply <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/?replytocom=1188747#respond> 2. Bentiu Ramaran <http://Southsudannation.com> August 8, 2015 at 1:55 am <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/#comment-1187990> Deng Mangok Ayuel, As long as you are a Dinka, there would never a word of unity and sincerity will come out from your mouth. Reply <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/?replytocom=1187990#respond> 3. Chul Mi Bor August 8, 2015 at 4:58 am <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/#comment-1188050> Rubbish, rubbish and rubbish. I stopped read this biased article from paragraph six. I regret for that. Reply <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/?replytocom=1188050#respond> - info@southsudannation August 8, 2015 at 3:32 pm <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/#comment-1188247> Chul Mi Bor, It’s really shocking that you could stop reading a captivating article from a fellow Mongjang who lives not in Juba NaBari but in the ancestral land of the Jieng. That is the reality of the side-effects and tangible ramifications of the horrific regime you are blindly supporting and that has totally and irreversibly devastated the nation. Editor Reply <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/?replytocom=1188247#respond> - Bol Alier Kur August 8, 2015 at 7:39 pm <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/#comment-1188369> Editior; The name of the person above you referred or alluded to as Jieng is not truly a Dinka but a Nuer. The true translation of those three names in Nuer is: “Chul the white or Chuol Mr. White”! I don’t speak Nuer but Jieng and Nuer language are almost identical! You can asked one of the Nuer guys to proof me wrong if you want to. So; if you believe that just because the guys had the last name “Bor” automatically made him or her a Jieng! Then according to your logic; the guy who wrote this with the name “Deng” below is a Dinka as well isn’t it!? Deng August 6, 2015 at 1:01 pm We are ruled by primitive and backward groups who usually claim that the are born to rule and not to be ruled, they are above the law and the best killers because they are the graduates of Alierism school of 1975. Go back and follow the cows. You should keep those cows away from Juba Editor; you see! This is why I often say; you can get an education up to the PHD level but still one wouldn’t know or comprehend the ideological contents of any written communication! Reply <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/?replytocom=1188369#respond> - info@southsudannation August 8, 2015 at 9:23 pm <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/#comment-1188443> Bol Alier Kur, If I had erred, my apology. However, the excuse I chose that I ascribed that tribe to the commentator was to show him that the article’s author was a serious Jieng nationalist deeply traumatized and appalled by the current leadership failure in the country which is evidenced by the terrible situation currently endured by many South Sudanese across the country. Editor Reply <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/?replytocom=1188443#respond> - Chol Ayuen August 9, 2015 at 12:50 am <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/#comment-1188594> Editor; You people haven’t learned anything from JIENGS’ pre-eminence ever since the inception of Sudan. Remember; you people couldn’t do anything to the baby-boomers of 1950s and 1960s Jiengs when it comes to the educational dominance. You people could not prove any evidence of education and wisdom dominance against Dinka. We Jieng can prove to you our wisdom dominance even in the present of Arab and here is an example; you protest for the so called “KOKORA” which was a call for Jieng to leave equatoria because you were too inferior to compete against Jieng in your own homeland. But our fathers in that era defeated you with their intellect reasoning for that call for Kokora. Kokora became a miserable failure and a humiliating defeat for your so called intellectuals! Now if you people couldn’t do anything those baby-boomers’ generation of Dinka; what truly make you think; you would do anything to the gen-X and the Millennial generation of Dinka today that’s overwhelmingly educated! When I hear Equatorians complaining that the country is not going into the right direction; it just astonished me because I don’t remember the last time equatorians were in control of South Sudan and everything was great! And if someone knows the time they were then he or she must let me know. It’s extremely laughable when foreigners hear you mocking Jiengs as being illiterates; that they are from the cattle camps; Jiengs are uneducated! But foreigners’ reaction would always be; really! How come the people you called an educated seem to be your superiors in the country? Those are the humiliating questions you people need to avoid by refraining from using unreasonable insult against Jiengs. This is like a homeless on the street insulting a banker that he is an idiot and a cattle keeper just because the banker doesn’t have pocket change for him! If God haven’t granted you the intellectual gene; you can’t take your frustration to some who has it! Privilege cannot be distributed but it’s earned! - info@southsudannation August 9, 2015 at 3:05 am <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/#comment-1188667> Chol Ayuen, First of all, please, don’t personalize the debate on the national crisis with the editor. Second, your writing proves a lot that your thinking in this advanced age of development is still stunted and I personally will not stoop so low as to argue or discuss any national issues with your fixated and frozen mindset. Lastly, since I would be falling according, to your archaic classification, amongst the 50’s boomers who you described, I quote, ‘that were too inferior to compete with the jieng in your homeland,’ I would only wish you and your fathers to enjoy your current domination of everything by your so-called good management of the country. Surely, God himself has abundantly granted you the intellectual genes and the divine privileges you rightly earned to be our superiors and to do what you are now diabolically doing to the country. Editor - Force_1 August 9, 2015 at 3:49 pm <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/#comment-1188987> Many thanks Bol Alier Kur and Chol Ayuen; I personally know you Chol Ayuen when we were 6 or 7 years old in Juba in 1983; you were living in Kabat and My father’s home was in Thongpiny; we left Juba in the early 1984 on our way to Bor and to Ethiopia in 1987. Thanks again Chol Ayuen for the history lessons. For the Editor; what are you complaining about? Chol Ayuen tone is the tone you use on the daily bases on this site against Dinka; how does it feel when the table is turn against you the way it happened? Reply <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/?replytocom=1188987#respond> - Force_1 August 9, 2015 at 3:56 pm <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/#comment-1188990> Chol Ayuen and Bol Alier Kur; you two have given me a great piece of mind today; I couldn’t be more happy. I think I am going to have a little break for now; and many thanks again. - Chul Mi Bor August 9, 2015 at 4:17 am <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/#comment-1188701> Editor: First of all I am not a Dinka! Secondly, I do not and will never support Sultan Kiir’s regime. I cannot support a tribalist and corrupt government. I believe Kiir’s regime cannot claim genuine legitimacy in the eyes of S Sudanese. Our people are treated as prisoners in their own country by the regime, UNMISS protection camps, for example. My immediate family members live in Malakal UNMISS since the start of the war. It hurts to suggest that I support Kiir! I really mean it! My two brothers were killed inside our house in Malakal before they burnt the house. I believe that the march of democracy and freedom will leave Kiir in the ash of the history. Lastly, I stopped reading (not read as I put it) because Deng Mangok-nguth starts to lie about Dr. Riek Machar and from there I stopped and realized the writer is just one of those Dinka who always like to blame everything on others. Waiting for your response! Many Thanks, Chul Mi Bor Mi Riang Reply <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/?replytocom=1188701#respond> - info@southsudannation August 9, 2015 at 12:36 pm <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/#comment-1188909> Chui Mi Bor Mi Riang, My apology, but advisedly, I would encourage you to keep reading any article regardless of the author. That’s what my duty compels me to do. Regards. Editor Reply <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/?replytocom=1188909#respond> 4. False Millionaire August 8, 2015 at 10:03 am <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/#comment-1188133> Excellent!!! But the next time u become a chief rebel,never believe in a tribal based rebellion. Brother Riak will learn it the hardest way as Gadet and company are in the course of turning their backs on him. It will be most unfortunate if the future RSS leaders who would rise from the ashes of the destruction fail to sacrifice for common universal human intersts at the expense of their personal egos. Such great revolutionaries as Chairman Lenin,Washington,Ghandi,castro and Mandela among others did so. But oooooops sorry,did Kiir,Riak and the rest of SPLM/A elites read and understood something about them? May God forgive them for destroying our country and the society out of pure ignorance!!! Reply <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/?replytocom=1188133#respond> 5. Green August 8, 2015 at 6:33 pm <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/#comment-1188332> Chul, A person I call Bor can’t figure out the truth at least heis attacked by Nuer. You should be honest. You should be followe. Dr Garang killed many of our people but we followed for the sake of liberation. Reply <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/?replytocom=1188332#respond> 6. Hoiloom August 9, 2015 at 4:07 pm <http://www.southsudannation.com/the-era-of-heroic-errors-in-south-sudan/#comment-1188994> Green et.al, Mi bor in Nuer means white color. I think Mr. Chul Mi Bor should explain the meaning of his name. I know Chul does not have the same meaning as Chuol. In fact he should have written his name as Cul Mi Bör. As for the article, well what can one expect from our confused Dinka cousins. They believe South Sudan is Jieng and vice versa. Other ethnic groups do not matter and should be treated as their subjects. As a matter of fact, they curse God in private for being created in the same country with Nuer because their wish of ruling or misruling South Sudan for 100 years will never be realized. Riek Machar is a Blessed man and I don’t see him going anywhere soon until the country is put on the right path. Hoiloom -- To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/d/forum/southsudankob View this message at https://groups.google.com/d/msg/southsudankob/topic-id/message-id For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout --- 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]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/SouthSudanKob. 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