“No matter how hard the past is, you always begin again” – Buddha
By J. Nguen Nyol,
Jan 9, 2021(Nyamilepedia) — With this new beginning, this turn of brand New Year 2021, I write to call for a new attitude, new behavior and new positive approach to things which matters to all of us. I write for a new change and also to reflect on our historical zeal, heroic acts and unwavering determinations of our fallen martyrs, retired war veterans and comrades who are still in armed but weak and walk with canes and have no were turn for help or be cared for when they needed most.
I write this piece to dignify our historical perspectives for our humbled struggle for self-rule and independence; Thus, I say Happy New Year 2021 to all of us!
With that beginning, this background, I write to recognize our nationalistic stand and humbled experiences on our quest for self-rule and independence. A quest for self-rule and independence we have fought for 22 years. Under the same banner, I write to applaud the Lost Boys of Sudan who are now full grown men and aging in earnest. This year, 2021, is a year of reckoning and self –evaluation for all of us.
As part of the Lost Boys of Sudan or Red Army for that matter, I write to certify that I am pleased and honored by how far we have trekked. Indeed, together, we have trekked roads filled with ups and downs but underscored by far reaching positive contributions whose outcomes were not in vain. I like to remind ourselves that those far reaching positive contributions were centred around nationhood and good citizenship.
During the war of our independence, the Lost Boys of Sudan were dubbed the seeds of the would be nation, and leaders of the new tomorrow. True or not, we are here now. We are full grown men and women, learned and distinguished cohorts with special characteristics and experiences by any comparison.
The Lost Boys of Sudan are by far unique, learned men and women who are free from small talks and toxic tribal politics, which is now being furthered and promoted by some of our grey elders and leaders to settle their centuries old kraal political scores of their time when they were herding cows. I declared this back-warded rhetoric and thinking must stop.
The ethnic – driven tribal politics has caused us and caused a new nation a great harm and seemingly an irreparable damage to our psychic and peaceful coexistence of our citizens. Sadly, as I mentioned, this divisive and primitive politics is being fanned and promoted by our elders and leaders who named themselves leaders of tribes and communities without shame or regard to their advancement in age.
As a result, this self-centred and ego-driven politics has caused South Sudan 7 Years of senseless war. This senseless war as a consequence killed half a million peoples and sent hundreds of thousands of our innocent civilians into the United Nations Protected Site of civilians across the country for protection and safety. How sad and shameful!
That our people have to run and run away from their government because they are being targeted and even killed based on their ethnic backgrounds. This is unbecoming, unconscionable and must be altered at all cost.
With fond memories of the Lost Boys of Sudan, I write to recap and put meaning to our nationalistic stand and training during the war of independence. However, for the last 10 years, I want to acknowledge that such a nationalistic standing and comradeship have been tested, broken and subsequently subdued by our elders and leaders’ persistence falsely claims of old age and knowing better. But instead, they preached defective tribal politics meant to further divide us in our prime time while their (elders) days on earth are numbered.
Thus, I want to admit that some of the Lost Boys were caught between the hard rocks and hard grounds and then succumbed. For example, they were falsely made to believe that their colleagues and comrades in armed and in civilian clothes are their hard-core enemies because of their tribes. Therefore, to you comrades, for your information, this narrative is not only deceiving but primitive and unfounded.
We are one and learned comrades cut from the same cloth. We are the only cohort enlightened to deliver this country to its promised land. A promised land pronounced to us 32 years ago. A promised land which shall be democratic, prosperous and governed by the rule of law. Such rule of laws shall and will respect our rich diversity.
Besides, truth be told, currently, South Sudan as a country is failing without a question. For instant, our colleagues and comrades who are in the position power failed to discharged their honourable and nationalistic duties for the betterment of this country. They have deviated from the core objectives of nationhood and good governance.
Thus, in the name of our martyrs and wounded heroes, there is a profound reason to retrace our roots in order to reclaim our nationalistic humbled past to ensure that our country is transformed to be democratic, prosperous and free for our children and the next generations.
In this respect, I would like to echo that our country demands to be democratic, free and prosperous in the true sense of the words. The Lost Boys of Sudan in this regard are in a good place, unique characteristics, vision and must take a lead in this endeavor of new political dispensation.
For once, the Lost Boys are not a cohort cut from tribal clothing. So much so, they are not a cohort from nowhere to somewhere, but groomed seeds destined to deliver South Sudan to emancipation. More importantly, the Red Army or the Lost Boys of Sudan for that matter are here to stay the cause and make the necessary change needed for the betterment of this country. This mission should and must be our collective objective for this New Year 2021 onward.
In closing, I greeted the New Year 2021 with confident and forward thinking, though I can’t quickly figure out who to greet first out of respect for leadership, eldership and comradeship simply because I have been conditioned to think otherwise by elders and leaders’ deeds.
Truth be told, I inadvertently lost count of how many times our people have been misled on a path of self – destruction by our elders, leaders and comrades in armed forces based on false grounds.
Therefore, in the name of our fallen martyrs, wounded heroes and forgotten war veterans, I salute President Salva Kiir Mayardit with his deputy, the First Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan, Dr. Riek Machar out of respect for leadership, eldership and comradeship in order to give meanings to the throne regardless of who is warming the seat. Both men by law represent the new nation regardless.
However, I recognized the fact that some citizens would certainly have uneasy feelings regarding my closing statement. Yes, I understand that the two leaders have messed up. But, it is also true that one of them made that terrible mistake. A terrible mistake which came back to us to haut us and led this country to a leadership failure of a sort.
I accept the notion that one leader’s erroneous decisions have failed us. This is correct. It is correct when accepted the truth and do away with senseless political correctness which further false blanketed blame. The one man at the top of the queue failed to steer the sinking ship right to its final sail. Precisely, the captain of the ship failed to stay the cause.
Out of respect for comradeship and brotherhood, I finally greet the Red Army – the lost of Boys of Sudan who were considered lost in disguise to blur the intended vision of tomorrow’s seeds. Also, I sheared the people of South Sudan in this new day, new beginning and New Year 2021.
All said and done, I recognized our peoples’ resilience in their down times, even when they are right at the mouth of their solemn graves.
Nguen Nyol is a South Sudanese political commentator and analyst based in South Sudan. He can be reached at Jamesnguen@gmail.com,
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