Dear President Kiir and Dr. Machar,
I have been following the recent spate of violence in the world's newest nation - South Sudan - and I can't help but weep for women and children, the most vulnerable during this volatile period, and to also write a letter canvassing for the return of peace.
It was a moment of joy for all who wished to secede from Sudan and establish a state they will call theirs; where they will live in peace, where they will enjoy equitable distribution of the nation's resources, where they will witness war and its vicissitudes no more, where a safer environment will be created for all kids to access quality education, and where they will have a say in the decision making process of their country.
There were indeed high hopes, and with you as key players, South Sudanese and the rest of us who wanted world peace and security beat the drum of peace, love, and security, as you gained your independence from Sudan in July 2011.
Today, those hopes have vanished on the faces of your people and the rest of us because the two of you have refused to play by the rules and ensure your people live in a peaceful and tranquil country once again. The two of you have refused to understand the sufferings of the masses. The two of you have refused to let go of your personal vendettas for the unity and prosperity of South Sudan. The two of you have refused to listen to the cry of your people. The two of you have refused to adhere to the peace deal brokered by the international community, and this has led to bloodshed, with thousands of people in dire need of humanitarian assistance.
I have been an unwilling witness to carnage and destruction myself; I experienced eleven rugged and tumultuous years of killing, maiming, destruction of dreams, battering of women and children, an abrupt end to education, and shattering of the economy when the Revolutionary United Front (in Liberia) challenged the authority of the state over its monopoly on the use of force, in 1991. As a child then, and an adult now, I still fully remember the horror, apprehension, paranoia, tension, mass killings and hunger we endured. I feel the pain of women and children in South Sudan who are the most vulnerable during violent conflicts, and I therefore write to plead with you for peace to return again to the people of South Sudan. The people have not asked for much, they have only demanded for PEACE; an end to hostility and return to normalcy.
It is pretty sad that the United Nations is watching as you set your tribesmen against one another. Each and every day when I switch on my television, I see horrific images of women and kids killed, innocent people lying in pools of blood, children dying of hunger, children out of school. I woke up this morning to the reality that you have not only killed our kids, left them out of school, but have also recruited them into your forces. It is a shame you are doing this! Stop the ethnic cleansing, and embrace peace for the benefit of the people you claim to be defending and representing. Kill the ego and kill not the innocent people and embrace peace!
As a peace and conflict analyst, I strongly believe THE GUNS CAN NEVER WIN THE WAR. The best alternative to ending violence in South Sudan is a political settlement: by bringing all parties to the table, which I consider a win-win approach. To ensure the table approach wins, we need to appreciate the importance of building confidence in all actors. Without confidence and a sense of safety in all parties involved, we cannot win the peace. This, therefore, calls for sincerity in reverting to and implementing the August 2015 peace deal.
Finally, you should know and appreciate the salient role of the international community in brokering peace and subsequent development of South Sudan. No one man can make it happen and no one nation can develop without support of the international community. My ink flows with peace whilst your guns which are meant to protect the sovereignty of the nation and its people, bleed profusely crimson red. As I come to an end, I kindly plead with the two of you to talk to your men to cease hostility and work in concert in bringing peace to the world's newest nation.
Your guns have bled so much that I fear if this mayhem continues, there would no longer be any South Sudan to protect. Your guns of freedom are now weapons of not only destruction of the people of South Sudan, but a demoralization of all others seeking self-determination. Please end this hostility and give yourselves a chance to win the respect of posterity.
Sincerely yours,
Alfred Kamanda, Freetown, Sierra Leone
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS