Illiteracy, Child Soldiers and Death

Jan. 4, 2017, at 8:00 a.m.

South Sudan is a country of patriots. We took up arms against the regime in the North that enslaved us and fought for freedom and the right to create our national identity in the world.

Those of us who were child soldiers at the time had no knowledge of "rights." It seemed normal since that was the only world we knew. For example, I didn't know until I was 15 that I was denied the right to abstain from fighting in the Christian/Islamic war in Sudan or in fights for resources. The leadership knew, and that is why they deemed education of children as unimportant. The situation South Sudan is in today would not have reached this level if educating children had been a priority.

When people ask about the genocide in South Sudan, I believe that when two tribes knowingly take on the overwhelming power of 62 tribes, that is not genocide, it is actually mass suicide.

What kind of lasting, positive change is accomplished when a community fights the government with bullets rather than negotiation or dialogue? There is a lack of discipline in the illiterate population of South Sudan; if the only way to get bread is with guns and bullets, this encourages young men and women to take up arms. This results in the killing of innocents.

Those individuals who organized the last failed coup d'état claimed it was tribal: Nuer versus Dinka. If that were so, is that genocide? It is mass suicide, caused by those who put illiterate youth on the front lines in the name of a tribal war fueled by their personal interest. They had no idea what they were fighting for, what they were up against and how quickly they would die.

These unproductive cycles of violent rebellion must end and stop damaging the institutions that struggle to rebuild basic infrastructure and help distribute food. These conflicts are caused by poverty, lack of education and no opportunities. The majority of the warlords have never been educated and sometimes only the child soldiers survive. In a country at peace, it is very hard to be promoted in military rank; however, rebellion results in field promotions. The youth believe their only hope is to join the rebellion and steal the property of others. They are rewarded after killing innocents in the name of tribalism.

The illiterate youth pay the heaviest price and they don't comprehend how their lives are wasted. The mass suicide by our youth will change only if they understand why they should live. South Sudan's illiteracy rate is the second highest in the world and is the major reason for the instability in South Sudan.

Education will make the difference if we invest in it, but continuing the status quo will give rise to the rebellions that will never advance the welfare of the nation. An African proverb teaches us that a man with a gun who has no agenda or ideology is a man eventually committing suicide. South Sudan today is full of men without ideology.

If the youth were trained to earn some income, suicide in search for opportunities would end. Joining the world might look impossible to most young people in South Sudan, but there is hope; the government is educating the people about the importance of peace and nongovernmental organizations are creating opportunities to help individuals become aware of their possibilities.

We ask that the world not see South Sudan as a country with a regime problem, but rather as a country paying the price of an illiteracy problem that has fueled endless bloodshed. If the illiterate are not saved, South Sudan will never truly know freedom, independence or security.

The Honorable Garang Malong Awan serves as the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry in the South Sudan and is the author of the recently published book, “Why South Sudan Matters.”