All Southern Participated in Liberation War

By Daniel Amum Odwel

Some fox may regard this title as vague and generalization claim that irritated the ears of opportunist. The facts are deadly poison to ego-centre minded people who think they are everything. Here let me elucidate my title with following examples:

First during the war era all the southern were regarded as fifth column by the ruling Government in Khartoum without exemption. For this reasons majority of people who remained in the towns in South Sudan were murdered by security in cold blood for they were considered as supporters of the Movement. They were picked in places of job and slaughtered inside the towns in the places called ''KAMSA BUYOT'' (five houses) in Malakal, ''WHITE HOUSE'' in Juba and ''GERENTI'' in Waw. These plans killing were done prior Governors eyes, and the most of those people were accused by security and disappeared for good. How do you term these people who lost their lives in cold blood? For what cost had they died for? If they were not fighting that devastated war why they were murdered by security?

Now, instead of appreciating the suffering and contribution of the people, who remained inside the towns for the cost of the Movement, the SPLA soldiers unfortunately regard them as NCP. Strongly be assured that this fifth column fought intensive war, this is why they were victimized by the Government of the Sudan during the war. Regrettable the same fifth column people today are being victimized by SPLA, for their cost they were slaughtered by security like chicken inside the places I mentioned early.

The SPLA soldiers need to be reminded that those fifth columns whom you are undermining now were the people who had fed you with their own resources and accommodated you in their own villages' communities. You now turn blindly against them by refusing them not to build their houses to live in peace which was attained through their contribution.

Second, presumably some SPLA soldiers are not aware about fate of internal displaced people, without great work done by your brothers who remained in towns; you wouldn't have your relatives still alive today. The remnants had paid the price that enables the internal displaced citizen to survive up to this moment. Such people should be reward as SPLM/A reward itself for participation they had made. The remnants struggle hard to open displaced schools in Khartoum such as Awangjbol, Maredia, Pachodo, St. Augustine, Aliap, Kennety and Shiek Lotfi, if you asked every young civil servants in different departments in south Sudan, where do they schooled during the war, for sure they will tell you that they are products of those schools. The question that needs to be answered be the people who think they are the only people who contributed in the war, without knowledgeable contribution paid by very humble teachers who risk their lives to produce cadres you have today, where would you find capable people to render services today? Knowledge is great weapon in modern world for defeating your opponents. With the few examples have the SPLAM/A still think that they are only heroes who fought liberation destructive war that claimed lives in every community in south Sudan However the SPLM/A must avoid under rate other participation as baseless and thinking that those who fought in bushes were the only patriots. Personally I could disregard this assumption for it is dangerous for our welfare as southern nation which we are dreaming for in 2011.

Thirdly valid example, the Catholic Church managed to open primary schools in every displaced camp around Khartoum whereby most of our children received their education; I thought the Government of South Sudan should have expressed their appreciation and gratitude for important role play by the mother church for welfare of our nation South Sudan. Because of this wonderful contribution they were accused by the Sudan Government of supporting the Movement, some of their clergymen were detained frequently and were prevented not to travel abroad? Can SPLM/A still feel that you are the only people who liberated marginalized people? So if SPLM/A are not convincing that others paid the price of liberation, then this is bias mentality and deadly mistake that will stop the progress in accomplishing freedom, justice, equality and citizenship. Also this reduced creditability of SPLM/A as Movement for marginalized people, for they seem to forget their visions which are very unpleasant, and those who died in the war had died for no cost.

Fourth fresh example, the Sudan Council of Churches opened primary health care centers in a shanty area around Khartoum in displaced camps, whereby they provided medical care and nutrition feeding programme for malnourish children, and usually they moved with displaced people when they were relocated by the system in Khartoum. Let us be assured that without that kind of service majority of our displaced relatives would have died from communicable diseases. The Sudan Council of the Churches was the first enemy of the Government of the Sudan, because they were people who report what happen to displaced citizens to entire world, most of their seniors clergymen were restricted from traveling abroad, thinking that they are going to exposed Government weakness against it own citizens. Were they not patriots who fought liberation war? In fact such institution must be praise for good job they accomplish to displace people during that difficult period in our life.

Fifth unthinkable contribution was rendered by the church in Sudan by compelling their sister churches around the world to forced their governments to come into rescue of situation in Sudan, and this was the reason the two war parties were brought to negotiation table which resulted in the signing of CPA.

Sixth, do you know that there were people who risk their lives and sacrifice themselves to feed the Moment with vital information about government plans for attacking the Movement positions? Were they not patriots who paid the price in liberation war?

Without appreciating other participations we will remain in precarious situation because certain party thinks that they are only guardians of CPA, but saving the CPA from collapsing is precedence over everything else if we want to have bright future. Indeed, what precipitated the deterioration of security in the south for sure is the lack of clear law system that can be applied to every situation that may occur, also lack of good governance in place, and this might have resulted from the big disease in south called tribalism and nepotism. Again, lack of truth between two parties of CPA can be seen in what took place in Malakal between JIU and SPLA. Does it mean Join Integrity Unit Forces are only NCP army? If it is one party army how come we called it JIU forces? Practically clear indication is that the job description to this Join Integrity Unit forces was not will establish, and if this is the case who supposed to be blame for vacuum of insecurity in south. To me this illusion situation had occurred as result of lack of concrete strategically plans to ensure the security of the citizens in south.

Surely sin of injustice lie a alongside immorality, also exploitation of the needy , suppression of the week, contempt for poor, and maltreatment of alien are all offensive to God of righteousness. Again, self-indulgence with many things practice by leaders in southern government covers a number of offences; example greed which can be classed as idolatry, for it invariably focuses life on created things rather than the Creator.

Some leaders in south Sudan live in dangerous stage of uncontrollable temper, habitual laziness, bitter envy and pride, these are all deadly sins. Precisely one tribe in south claimed that they are people who liberated southern people from Arabs, this is big lies. Such tribe should be warned that nothing separates anyone from their Maker more easily than the pride. To be proud is to deity and adore one's self, which is the most obnoxious form of idolatry. I tend to think that obtuseness mentality is seen in life of such community, and this implies deliberately self-infected action because fear of God is incompatible.

Frankly speaking if we are not going to be cure from such chronic diseases of tribalism, nepotism, segregation, discrimination and pride the doom future is awaiting us all without exception. For any divided family or nation will not stand outside pressure. If we remain in this dilemma stage the cost for which the blood was shed by fallen heroes will not be attain, and that mean those people had died for nothing, this is serious and sad moment in our lives. What happen in Juba in 1982 is going to reoccur again, and no one among the southern who will benefit for it. It seems to me that we are dig our own graves that we will be buried after 2011, or we have accepted to remain slaves until Jesus come back. I want to assure you that no signal community that will leads south into promise land or into freedom in 2011 unless all join hands as they were doing during the war era in the bushes and in the towns for the sake of liberation.