Booming or not, do not aggress us

By Pal Chol Nyan*

South Sudan's minister of petroleum.
Picture by Reuters

The President is under siege by his own inner circle. They are taking him for a long ride. They work hard to display him to the world negatively. The recent statement by one of his ministers is very disappointing and must be treated with the contempt it deserves. The very man whose own economy is booming seems to have forgotten that there are kids scavenging over left-overs, people concentrated in UN camps, mothers embracing kids begging and so on and so forth. Is that how a country with an economic boom looks like?

I believe His Excellency, the president, is not in the know about what has been said. It goes without saying that the president has, on different occasions, made it public that there is an economic crisis and that he is working around the clock to strike a deal with the opposition for peace to come. What begs the question is that, if the Head of State admits that there is economic collapse; how is it that one of his ministers countered him by saying that the economy is booming? 

I thought the minister was going to tell us about the environmental hazards in the oil-producing areas and how to combat them. There are cases of deformities seen in babies and reports by the local authorities there that there is a public health concern. It shouldn't also be a one-man show to address it. The Ministries of Health and Environment need to be consulted and involved. It is causing biological hazards.

The inflammatory statement by somebody, who has guaranteed his food security for as long as he lives on earth, is an insult to those who sleep with empty stomachs, literally sleeping with our hands. The government employees go for months without salaries and parents cannot pay school fees. Where is his booming economy if I can ask?

 I don't want to talk about the expansion of the government or that people are incited to go to refugees camps. It is just about preaching to the converted. It is time to work collectively to bring peace to the country.  Your happiness is yours. 

 He or she who says that the economy is booming is celebrating the sufferings of the masses of South Sudan who cannot even afford a meal. There is nothing booming; what is booming are bombs outbursts and wave of rebellions. 

Stop discussing or defending positions. Bring peace now and the economy will be booming in the real sense of the word. 

The author is reachable @palcholnyan2016 @gmail.com

Americans Are Our Friends

By Pal Chol Nyan* 

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 "A house whose owners talk does not disintegrate. Our leaders need to unify their positions and voices regardless of what happens. They need to get accustomed to the culture of talks and political engagements."   - Pal Chol Nyan

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Photo: Courtesy of the Author

I take my hat off to General Salva Mathok for speaking out against anti-American political rhetorics, and more specifically, against the incumbent [American] administration. It was misplaced although I admit that the imposed arms embargo and calling the President as an unfit partner is uncalled for, but it needs to be addressed in a diplomatic way.

Our country is too young to engage in volatile arguments with the West and the Region.

Who can deny that America has been a staunch supporter of the SPLM/A since the days of armed struggle all the way to the attainment of Independence? America has been spending millions of dollars on Southern and South Sudan. 

Their contribution cannot be underrated, but this should not prevent us from expressing our grievances once aggressed. Our country needs a panel of experts and a think-tank to iron out our differences with the international community and help streamline our foreign and domestic policies. It should not just be wealthy individuals dictated by their emotions to set us against superpowers without the consent of the president.

General Salva Mathok was right and he should not be quoted out of context.

A house whose owners talk does not disintegrate. Our leaders need to unify their positions and voices regardless of what happens. They need to get accustomed to the culture of talks and political engagements. China was drilling the oil for Khartoum to buy weapons to kill Southerners. What good has China done to us?  Pursuing individual interests at the expense of the ordinary citizens is unbecoming.

If my memory serves me well, the late Chairman Dr. John Garang sternly warned during the CPA negotiation in Naivasha that the peace-keeping forces should not include the countries with vested interest in Southern Sudan. He was indirectly referring to China. The solution focus must be directed at the peace talks in Addis. It is the only way out. 

As a former red army and a refugee in Itang, Ethiopia, I know the relief and the free education we got was from America. The camp overseers became even richer than the target groups. I am surprised how this could easily be forgotten. The UN/OLS, a partnership of UN (especially UNICEF and World Food Program), various NGOs working in Southern Sudan and the two then two warring parties in Sudan [SPLA/M &Government of Sudan], operated with American funding. Malow Military college was established and supported by Americans. The Chevron American oil company was the one to explore and discover the oil in Unity state in the 1970s.

The Guinea Worm eradication project was also initiated and funded by Carter center. Close here, the army headquarters were put in place by our friends, the Americans. The Nyachigak Military College was established with the help of the Americans, leave alone many police stations and the police training.

We have a legion of live examples in relation to how our American friends helped and continue to help South Sudan. The Juba-Nimule USAID-funded tarmac road was constructed and asphalted by the Americans now being bullied.

I applaud the call made by our Ambassador, Garang Diing, to the USA on touch down in Juba International airport that we want cordial relations with America.

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*Mr. Pal Chol Nyan is a concerned citizen, a former red army soldier and reachable @palcholnyan2016@gmail.com

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