South Sudan: How culture of revenge inhibits development and progress
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By Steve Paterno
Admittedly, revenge or the act of it is inherently human in nature.
The human beings since biblical times could not dissuade from the
proverbial practice of an ’eye for an eye.’ Even the most advanced
civilisation of the day still practices the same. For example, if a
Palestinian boy hit an Israeli soldier with a rock, not a rocket, you
bet, tanks will roll and the entire neighbourhood will be bulldozed a
ground in an act of vengeance. In the same vein, if you mess with
America, cruise missiles and all sort of bombs, even the ‘mother of
all bombs’ will fly your way. The Americans euphemism for revenge is
rather a fancy phrase known as ‘retaliatory response.’ The Americans
can beat their chests hard and then invoke the phrase, without
displaying any sense of barbarism or remorse. Just ask those of Maumar
Gaddafi, Saddam Hussein, Bashar al-Assad, Osama Bin-Laden, and the
rest of them, for they know it too well as to what that means.
As much as humans are naturally prompt to vengeance, they are also at
the same time attracted to righteousness, a genuine act of just being
good for its sake. Therefore, the human being is capable of both evil
and good but does not want to live either to the extreme. Hence, they
tend to strike the balance. For sure, the Israelis, with their
powerful weaponry can cause much more damage to the Palestinians and
the Americans can also do the same to their enemies, but yet they
never go all out. With the kind of the stockpiles of nuclear weapons
today being possessed in the world, if put into use, it is not an
exaggeration to say that humanity will be extinct in a blink of an
eye. However, those with such powers are exercising them in a measured
way, proportional to the perceived crimes. This is to say in other
words that by nature, they exercise self-control and that is when
humanity is at its best, once they exercise self-control.
Nevertheless, when it comes to South Sudan, a country full of
conflicting cultures—a country trying to forge a common destiny, the
act of revenge is taken totally to a tragic level. Take for example
the current escalation of violence between the two communities of Bor
and Murle. The conflict between these two neighbourly communities is
of course time immemorable, even though presently, it increases in
intensity, due to plentiful of deadly modern weaponry systems. This,
however, not also to say that there have never been times of
tranquillity between these communities. Theirs, just like other
communities in South Sudan, is a vicious cycle of violence, which is
reoccurring for generations, but made worst under the current modern
system.
The cycle always starts with peace and tranquillity. In such times of
peace and tranquillity, a few stubborn and spoiler youths will go on a
raid to the neighbour. The neighbour of course by nature will
retaliate. This will follow with counter-retaliations until the next
peaceful settlement is reached, which will mark a full vicious cycle
of violence and peace. The tragedy of it all, during this cycle, the
damages caused can never be recovered.
This cycle is happening in a vacuum, where there is no third party and
that third party under current circumstance is the government security
apparatus. Unfortunately, those from the warring communities who are
serving in the government and are supposed to be responsible as a
third party, pitifully, abandon their public service duties and are
jumping into the fray. They further exacerbate the already worsening
crisis. Just imagine a scenario where both Michael Makuie and David
Yau Yau are given nuclear codes, with options of wiping each community
out. Then, you guess the rest.
Anyway, since this is a pattern, that keeps reoccurring, and often
starts with peace and tranquillity, is it then not possible to stop
this cycle within the period of peace by preventing it from further
escalations into violence???
Steve Paterno is the author of The Rev. Fr. Saturnino Lohure, A Romain
Catholic Priest Turned Rebel. He can be reached at
[email protected]
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13 May 10:31, by Kuch
Mr. Steve Paterno, you are spot on as always. But the Bor
Dinka/Jieng has never ever, taken the Murles wretches seriously since
time memorable as you put it. We welcomed the wretches into our
country from Southern ethiopia in 1920th. The word ’Pi-bor’ is an
Anyuaks word for pi (WATER) and Bor (flood)----Pi- bor means water
from Bor. Mach Abol (Mac Abol) is are Bor dinka/ Jieng countries>>>
repondre message
13 May 10:39, by Kuch
and they were given to these wretches by Salva Kiir decrees.
The evils have been used by our enemies since they came into our
country to play game with us. The evil have been played against the
SPLM/A during our genuine war of independence, by the so-called cloned
arab of North Sudan. The fool called Ismael Konyi was used to toy
around with our country and our people>>>
repondre message
13 May 11:20, by Kuch
during our genuine war with our so-called cloned North
Sudan. They were used by the NGOs and the UNIMISS even when Kuol
Manyang was a governor.
repondre message
13 May 11:48, by Sunday Junup
Kuch,
I thought it was typing error when you commented that Pi-Bor mean
water from Bor. Its only in Bor community water flow from South Sudan
to Ethiopia? Second, you forget that UNMISS was established during
CPAI. It was not there during North -South war as you claim. Anyway it
is your custom to belief that a bull can be milk instead of Cow.
repondre message
13 May 23:38, by Rocky
The human beings since biblical times could not dissuade from the
proverbial practice of an ’eye for an eye.’ Even the most advanced
civilization of the day still practices the same
repondre message
15 May 22:39, by Mr Point
When will Steve Paterno stop producing these childish , ignorant
articles? It is a waste of time reading this nonsense.
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