Speaking the truth hurts, but heals also

Freedom in all its features is the basic rights of humanity, they’re inseparable possessions of any living humans under heaven—that should be respected by perpetrators of all ages. I don’t really understand what evil that incites some to go on violating the very basic right of life liberty and pursuits of peace and happiness of others—but whoever cost it, or on whatsoever concern they cost it—is undoubtedly damned by God, such inhumane deeds!  Coming to my own siblings—my very Country, to speak but the truth, my heart is hurt, and so shall it be the same to any human being who knows the truth, for when I see the Country which we all hoped for, and dreamed to have its bliss—that now is turned into an imbroglio and war zone where everyone is tearing it apart for reasons those are unjustifiable, self-centered and harmful to all—my heart don’t bear to see it any longer! Because through righteousness a Nation stands firm and flourishes, but with gourmet and corruptions, the Country falls! This happened because we don’t have an informed Society, a nationalistic community that stands cohesively strong against such selfish deeds and valiantly oppose these perpetrators of our prosperity and peace, regardless of their ethical differences; had we such society, this Country will soon blossom with flowers of permanent peace and orderliness for all! Therefore, my aim, our aim now, is to rise that spirit from our puny society whose potential bliss have been trodden under boots of violence! For a Country cannot be carried in the vowel on one person’s hand, rather it should be in the basin for all! Informed Society, our strength, our mutual rise for good governance, is our success! I am convinced that I will never be silent, “though the waves of the Indian Ocean are stilled—I shall never be calmed to roar, I could either have it all, but at all!” For The Author of Creation in whose eyes the life of everyone is better, suffered on me his will, we are impelled to add our NO, against this racial system—the blood of my fallen Martyrs cry to me out of their graves, ‘shout out our voices!’ I said, what to shout? “Quit! Quit! Quit! Let this racist Regime leave, let them never continue in the power, because they have made fool out of our death, they cheated on us—they didn’t rise the right scepter, the scepter of good judgment; they’ve neglected to build the Country of Equity and Equality for all. They’ve not allowed justice to reign—they’ve paralyzed prosperity by her legs so that she became the handicap to dance for all—they’ve become cruel to peace, leaving her trodden down under their boots of violence’.From therein, my heart remains to condemns me through and through over my numbness in the cave of silence, for keeping the roof of my lips locked up as if I don’t see this conflicts of interests occurring in my Country. If we need peace, we must value the truth:“For it is from out of the man of truth—that truth is meant to be real—and it’s in the hearts of the family of Truth that the Truth is sincerely valued and recognized above the purest diamond”.I never find peace within my Soul, tears never cease flowing down on my two cheeks. The happiness I wished it back, but it has deserted me for good—I sleep almost when it is already timed for the people to wake up—because my eyes have rebelled against me, they doggedly refuse to get locked up, though I press them together with my two hands, they still ticked open. I am a man of heavy heart, although I try to laugh, it is all feigned laugh. Because of all the sounds of my daughter, who can believe that they are feigned and fibbed ones—they are not from my real heart! Why be happy, when my peoples are expelled out of their Country every day, all my birds have flown away from their nests—they left their residues because they are peoples with no concerned and strong-handed government to truly care for what they want. It takes one’s courage to reveal his truest inside out—yea; I said this for truth’s sake. My Soul needs to see the change, the true one that should make all of us get settled happily in the pastures of transparency, with justice allowed to gaily distributing us its fruits of prosperity, hugged by her sister bliss in an ultimate harmony for all. True to say it, “If I still have an aggressive enemy left: should be the man that disdainfully wields the dagger of injustice on anyone anywhere”.

In the Name of our LORD the GOD of all the creation—and in the name our beloved Country South Sudan, I wish to apology for my people, I sincerely want to say sorry, sorry, sorry and sorry again!!!  I know, this was not the type of a Country you were longing for. You did not expect the Country to take this direction. I know, you are shocked—for you did not also expected to live in such an acute situation or outside your country either. Owing to these misdeeds that erupted which has left the Nation desolated and unwanted to live in—due to the upheaval ruse of racism? Our sincere advice is that; do not admire this regime any longer, for it had already disrepute her governmental office! Do not fear its machismo also, for it has no more legitimacy over you. In addition, the date of the ballots you voted for it’s supposedly term has already expired. In addition, what you still see now is a myth of cliques with three aims: (1) of strongly grabbed on kleptomaniacs desire to continue indulging in your national positions and wealth. Secondly, (2) They’ve made our power as their hideout from facing justice (3) They’re there to impose on us a total submission—such that we could either give in or up to their will. Therefore, it is up to us all to do something of a noble will. Know assuredly that it’s due to our redundancy and lack of enough collective will to openly shack them off, or crash them against the cliffs of disowning that that is why they are still there controlling us in a biased diktat. Moreover, for this very reason, I emerge to tell you that it’s time to oust them out—call for total change!

Rev.Malong Baak

South Sudan, is really in great need for change

South Sudanese people really are in great need for one thing, ‘change’ without which no matter what we say or do, this Country is going to remain ugly as it is. As we can see, there is not going to services deliveries. We need to be honest and realistic, and above all, we must accept to be one. We must remain united as one, in order to force out those who think that this Country is their own property. Without the spirit of oneness and critical effort, South Sudanese society will remain in this acute poverty forever. And South Sudan will be like Congo, Somalia, Siri Lanka, those Countries though they have potentialities, yet they are languishing in great despair. Because they are crippled by systems those don’t care about their peoples’ welfare. The humanity, are not taking a serious action to end the human violations occurring in this newly born Nation. The Country is in great desperation for human right salvation. The SPLM regime is not going to let people get their political rights, without which if these people are not outreached through strong intervention, this poor society are going to end up fleeing to many Countries everyday! And I believe, the world is going to regret their idle waiting "for this crippled people" to help themselves out of all this.

SPLM: A Movement with too many prophets, but no savior!

Over the years, Sudanese (Southern and Northern Sudanese) alike, have gravitated towards the ideals of the SPLM/A. A masterful conception of Dr. Garang and cohorts, it is/was considered a movement that held or defined the aspiration of the marginalized in the peripherals of Sudanese society, in all its forms. It demystified the notion that Arabs and only those who are associated with them called the tune and played the cords of discourse about what Sudan is. Throughout the protracted struggle, many came to identify with brand of the solution that the SPLM preached. With the New Sudan Vision/philosophy, it gained many converts, most from Southern Sudan, Blue Nile, Nuba Mountains and north. These converts believed in spirit and ideals of the salvation that the SPLM/A was preaching. In that, many perished while wanting to attain their place in the heavenly kingdom promised by the leaders of the movement. The conception was attractive and brave! It defined the true cause of the Sudanese identity question. It provided pragmatic solutions that many felt, will address the issues of marginalization, development, decentralization of power from the center to the peripheries. The premised that the state, secular in its conception, will address once and for all, the maladies entrenched from Sudan’s independence till the signing of the CPA, in 2005. Though the compromise reached with the CPA did not completely address the issue of marginalization and continued centralization of power, many still hinged their hopes that the period of transitional government of national unity, will provide the litmus test and challenge the elites to think differently. This euphoria came to complete realization when Dr. Garang came to Khartoum. The establishment felt the presence and force of the idea that inspired the rebellion in 1983. For years, the establishment in Khartoum, thought of the idea of New Sudan as a conceptualization made for South Sudanese alone. But that myth was shattered when Dr. Garang set foot in Khartoum. Millions showed up to welcome the hero that they have loved in silence. This was the closest we were able to see a Savior. However, fate had its evil hands all over the promise of better future for the people of Sudan. With the death of Dr. Garang, July 30th 2005, the fate of hopeful Sudan came to a disappointing end.

Don’t get me wrong here. I still believe that the brand of vision that was promised by the SPLM has strong resonance within wider spectrum of South Sudanese and Sudanese Societies. This reality is seen in all its forms—from defining issues of identity that Sudan struggled with since independence; to the dawn of new political dispensation framed within the CPA , till separation. These ideas that gave rise to the SPLM/A still hold true today, if you are an aspiring South Sudanese who is looking at a post tribal politics as the only solution to our endemic problems. The nostalgic part of the promise that gave rise to the SPLM is still being preached today with different prophets, each claiming a sect within the grand umbrella of the SPLM, evoking realities far removed from the conditions that gave rise to the SPLM itself.

Or another better explanation that seems to correctly describe the situation within the SPLM, is conjured as that of false prophets embracing the SPLM religion for the sole purpose of building their credentials through association with its vision. Their aim at the end, which seems affected to a large degree with the tribalized politics; framed within the concept or confine of liberation struggle and sold by groups of leaders with differing interest in the SPLM as the solution. Though partial in their reality, they are effective in garnering the right constituencies to continue fuelling the prospect of disintegrating the state in South Sudan.

For example, since inception, the SPLM brand has morphed through extraordinary evolutionary milestones. Now, in Sudan and South Sudan alike, SPLM is a cult that attracts people from different walks of lives, holding different interpretation of what the SPLM is and is not. In the twenty nine years of its existence, these are the transfiguration the SPLM has embodied: SPLM; SPLM Mainstreem; SPLM-Torit; SPLM-Nasir; SPLM-DC; SPLM-North; SPLM-IG; SPLM-IO; SPLM-FD. As you can see, there are about nine different sects of the SPLM with different prophets, each claims or is claiming to be the true Savior of some sort. All are prophets, but none of them is able to bring the salvation that the people of South Sudan so dearly hinged on the SPLM. Majority see their aspirations linked to the Movement, whether those in the inside or outside of government. Their links to the SPLM brand seems to be the only credible alternative they possess, regardless of whether they really understand the meaning and the idea that garnered the SPLM its religious place in the politics of the two Sudans.

With the advent of the December crisis that lead to the collapse of the constitution, there seems to be an intensification of the Taliban like indoctrination and disregard to the value of human life. The death of so many people, targeted only for their ethnicity, exposes the reality and urgency with which the situation can be likened to religious zealotry. Of the many sects within the SPLM, all claim moral righteousness and in the process demonize the other. A prospect only seen in ethno-relgious wars that define and defile the other as unworthy opponent in all aspects.

Thus, withered away with the partition of Sudan the concept that gave rise to the SPLM and the pontificate righteousness it portrayed the issues and failures governance since Sudan’s independence from Condominium Administration. The collective miss-understanding from the governing ethnic elites of the land that identity politics will continue to give them the added advantage that comes with power is falsely premised and will continue to fracture every aspect of the conception of the SPLM and South Sudan alike.

As well, there seem to be an unspoken golden rule within South Sudan body politics that if you are a professed SPLM believer, advocating for credible alternative to the political stagnation created by the stranglehold on the brand of “politics” transgressing political space, lead by the SPLM, it is futile or impossible for you to gain any traction. This reality speaks volume about the timidity of the political elites who are clamouring for power with limited foresight as to what their defining prospects for South Sudan are. Most of the different sects within the SPLM have betrayed the faith or oversold it to South Sudanese people without reflection on their unholy disregard to suffering of the masses.

All throughout the metamorphosis of the SPLM, with its different sects and their leaders and suspect histories, the conception of tribally oriented policies seems to dominate, and at the same time, galvanize emotions and underestimate or take for granted the wishes of the people. Nine years since the inception of the CPA and three years into independence, all the factions of the SPLM have not clearly showcased their political platforms for the public to see and decide for themselves, what they really say about the future of South Sudan. The SPLM in government has had nine years of unfettered political space to educate the people of South Sudan on what they stand for. Unfortunately, they have yet to deliver at best or completely failed, in all aspects of political and leadership orientation.

Economically, the SPLM has deprived the people of South Sudan from any hope that they will ever see any peace dividends after twenty one years of preaching from the holy book of the hymn of the New Sudan Vision. The huge economic advantage that they have squandered with the lost of billions of dollars, is a testament that the party was not ready to assume the mantle economic management of a nation.

Politically, the SPLM and its variety of political malformations, totally failed the test of transformation from a guerrilla movement to a governing party that respect its own ideals of what it means to lead in a post conflict situation such as ours. The leadership, in their self contained vision of what a nation is, resorted to politics of identification to govern and in the process disenfranchised many ethnic communities for the lack of military force behind their constituencies. And if there was any political will to transform, all evidence show to the contrary. Within a short period of time, the entrenchment of the “bush mentality” took hold, instead of ceasing, in the face of the high political cost South Sudanese paid in order to be free. The party is more entrenched in protecting the rulers instead of the ruled. The constitution which articulate how the society is governed has been trounced. South Sudan today is a state with no functioning constitution. The ideals that gave rise to the SPLM and what they are effecting is in deep disconnect. Unless the two are harmonized, the prospect for a stable political future for South Sudan is bleak. The current leadership are not ready nor interested in actually fulfilling the aspiration of the people of South Sudan, even when they preach the ideals of the SPLM, in false prophecy.

Ethnically, South Sudanese who are pegged at the level of their veracity to commit violence in protecting their rights, are accorded political space. The recently concluded peace agreement, in May 2014, between the government and the South Sudan Liberation Movement/Army–Cobra Faction, led by David Yau Yau is a clear example. This peace agreement provided for the Murle tribe and other smaller tribes in Greater Pibor Areas with a new ethno-political jurisdiction, carved out of the Jonglei state, in complete contravention to the provisions of the constitution, that established South Sudan with Ten constituted States at independence. This agreement is created out of necessity to thwart increasing threats posed by the fracture within the Kiir’s regime and fear of Cobra Faction joining the rebellion, instead of genuine or real peace. Thus, the creation of the Greater Pibor Administrative Areas (GPAA) is an indicator that the road to finding a comprehensive solution to the issues of governance is still unattainable in the near future. This is because the current regime continues to views itself as holding the future and stability of the country, in stark contradiction to the realities at hand. As a result, the regime is entrenching itself by constricting all political space for other political entities that are seeking reform using peaceful means.

The crisis of December 15th 2013, was a further example of resentment from those at the top to free expression and accountability, which led to the fracture of whatever cohesion that remained within the SPLM. Politics is being defined along ethnic lines and ordered, enforced and formalized in institutions of government, regardless of the long term impact it may cause to the social cohesion brought to fore with CPA, the referendum and later independence.

As sober observers of South Sudan would argue that the political decay created by the SPLM and its many different sections will not subside unless drastic change is instituted within the internal body politics of the movement. Thus, the SPLM or at least the future generation of the movement must assert their position, instead of following their leaders along ethnic lines, trying to justify or rationalize the incomprehensible, with regard to the failures they are currently committing against the people of South Sudan.

Thus, as many leaders as there are in the movement; whether in the breakaway sections or within the current antagonists, very few have shown leadership in thinking or showing conscience to see beyond the material possession of titles. And, as the current intransigence continues, with no sign of peace in the offing, pressure must be brought to bear on those who are obstructing peace. Their continued disregard must be met with the threat of prosecution, at the International Criminal Court—for crimes they have been a part off, whether by omission or commission. Because the time of political justice has gone and accountability must be meted on those who have been implicated in atrocities committed on all fronts.

David Majok: September 21, 2014 (PW Media)

Federalism is not the cause of war in South Sudan

Five days ago, Roger Alfred Yoron Modi published an article under the title “Federalism does not deserve war in South Sudan”. The title is quite misleading, and nothing could be further from the truth. The whole world knows that the war in South Sudan was the result of a power struggle within the SPLM party between President Kiir and his deputy the then sacked Vice President and Deputy Chairman of the SPLM party, Dr Riek Machar. The South Sudanese people were not responsible for igniting the war, but it was imposed on them by their leaders.

The government narrative was that it was a coup orchestrated and executed by Dr Riek Machar and his followers. That narrative fell flat under scrutiny and gained the regime Four Pinocchios on The Fact Checker Rating System. Even President Museveni, Kiir’s main ally, refuted the claim that what happened in Juba in December 2013 was a coup d’etat. Many of us know that Riek Machar was against federalism. It’s well documented in a meeting with the Equatorians in Nyakuron Cultural Centre in Juba before the conflict where Riek Machar threatened the Equatorians for pursuing federalism. He needed the support of the Equatorians in his fight against President Kiir. Hence Riek Machar resorted to a tactical move by embracing federalism and even becoming more vocal about it than the pioneers. It’s no wonder that Riek Machar has foregone federalism at the earliest opportunity to reclaim his previous position in the government. It’s clear that federalism was never the cause of the rift within the SPLM party nor the reason that South Sudan ended up in a protracted civil war.

The government went to great lengths to suppress any debates about federalism be it in the media or among the populace. Even a media gag was imposed by the government not to engage in any activities related to federalism. A poor man was shot dead in Maridi for voicing his support for federalism. Such an act would have drawn condemnation from the President and members of his cabinet because it was a politically motivated act of extreme violence by members of the security organs. The case of the unfortunate man was deliberately left to fall into oblivion with no investigation, arrests or convictions. But there were numerous cases of assassinations that went unnoticed by the media. It was noted that around that time the activities of the unknown gunmen suddenly picked up to unprecedented levels. It was common knowledge that the unknown gunmen targeted those who were vocal in their support for federalism. At that time, no one knew for sure the identity of the unknown gunmen. It’s only recently that General Paul Malong, the former Chief of Staff of the SPLA unveiled the identity of the unknown gunmen. We now know that they are members of the National Security Service (NSS) under the direct orders of the President and led by General Akool Koor, the Director General of Internal Security at the NSS. Such is the environment Roger Alfred Yoron Modi thinks is conducive for a democratic discourse on the issue of federalism with all the opposition groups in Juba. One must be blind, deaf or incredibly naive to believe what our eminent journalist is alluding to. It’s an oversimplification or just outright dishonesty to claim that the National Salvation Front (NAS) is rejecting the agreement on the Outstanding Issues of Governance because of non-inclusion of federalism. Likewise, it’s illogical to suggest that by doing so, NAS is opting for war. It’s turning into a familiar theme that whoever does not sign the cumbersome deal is a warmonger. At this juncture where the future of the country is in doubt, those sincere sons and daughters of South Sudan need to tell the truth. Where in the world that you find a government having 5 Vice Presidents?! The superpowers of the world (America, Rusia, China) all have one Vice President each. Furthermore, South Sudan represents only a fraction of the territory and population size of those superpowers. Are we being made by our leaders into a laughing stock across the world?!

But the most critical thing concerning peace is the Security Arrangements. NAS has already appended its signature to it showing its full commitment for peace. It did sign the Cessation of Hostility Agreement (CoHA) in Addis Ababa in December 2017. The National Salvation Front continued to honour the CoHA with no single violation recorded against it by the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangement Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM). It’s because of an unambiguous policy that gives priority to peace. NAS could undoubtedly cause problems for the government in various ways, but its leaders are more concerned about the plight of the ordinary people of South Sudan who are yearning for a just peace.

Our journalist also brought up the issue of NAS signing the Security Arrangements but not the Outstanding Issues on Governance as a sort of inconsistency or contradiction. Looking at previous peace talks across the world; shows that what NAS did was never a precedent but consistent with numerous past experiences. In peace negotiations, the parties could agree on some points while disagreeing with others that could take months or even few years to resolve. The talks could be adjourned, and when they are resumed, they do not start from square one but from where they stopped in the previous peace talks. I am sure that our journalist is aware that the government refused to sign the Declaration of Principles (DoP) in Addis Ababa in March 2018, yet the negotiations were allowed to continue. So now the government has signed the agreement on governance because it gives it what it wants but not the DoP that was approved by NAS and the other members of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA). So, where is the difference between the two positions? And why is the government’s position right while the one that belongs to NAS is wrong?! Are we dealing with a worthless, biased view?!

It’s important to understand that federalism is not the only reason that led NAS to reject the agreement on governance. NAS is pursuing a holistic solution to the conflict that would put an end to the war and bring about a lasting peace. It’s untrue that NAS didn’t propose the type of federalism that suits South Sudan. It was contained in NAS’s proposal to the pre-Forum Consultations of the High-Level Revitalization Forum (HLRF) for the Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCSS). But to our surprise, our proposals, as well as the ones from the other opposition Movements/Parties, were ignored by the IGAD mediation team. There are good reasons to insist on the institution of federalism in the transition. Firstly, ARCSS stipulates that the National Constitutional Amendment Committee (NCAC) drafts a Constitutional Amendment bill within (21) days upon signing the agreement. The bill shall incorporate the agreement into the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan (TCRSS). Federalism could be incorporated into the TCRSS within that timeframe. All are supposed to occur in the pre-transition period. All are doable and in good time. Secondly, Federalism is a popular demand since 1947, and there’s no any convincing reason to further delay its implementation. Thirdly, the government track-record and apparent hostility against federalism as outlined above is no comfort for leaving the matter to be addressed well into the transition.

The notion that our people need understanding and enlightenment on the various types of federalism is flawed. How many among the elites in South Sudan who know the types of federalism? Not very many. I contend that the percentage of those who know would not be much different from the one belonging to their peers in America, India or Brazil. According to the US Department of Education, 32 million adults (9.8%) in the US can’t read. The federal government was established in 1789, that’s 229 years ago. If the illiteracy percentage is 9.8% now, what was it over two centuries ago?! The Americans managed to run a successful federal government and made America a superpower. The federal government of Brazil came into being in 1889, which is 129 years ago. At that time the literacy in Brazil was 16%. It means, 84% of the Brazilians were illiterate people when federalism was introduced. Regardless of the population size, the case of India is much closer to ours. The literacy percentages in India in 1951 and 2001 were 17.02% and 21.59% respectively. Our current literacy percentage is 27% which is higher than that of India. India is the biggest democracy on earth enjoying a prosperous and stable federal system of governance. Roger Alfred Yoron Modi would struggle in vain to make people favor such an assertion.

Regarding the Presidency, there seems to be an assumption that all the opposition groups have agreed for Kiir and Machar to lead the transition. NAS position is that any individual who had committed war crimes and crimes against humanity should be excluded from the transition. The same applies to those who are suspects of embezzlement of public funds. There’s a valid argument for adopting such a stance which is to avoid conflict of interests. How could the Hybrid Court of South Sudan (HCSS) function independently and fairly with President Kiir and Dr Riek Machar at the helm of the government?! The following is an excerpt from the report of the African Union Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan (AUCISS). “The commision therefore, finds that in order for the reconciliation process to begin, those with the greatest responsibility for atrocities at the highest level should be brought to account and mechanisms should be established to address other concerns specific to victims of violations and crimes, which include reparation.

Why refer S. Sudanese dilemma with Rwanda?

With the above understanding, it has become imperative for us at the Foundation for Peace Professionals to re-direct a certain misconception about the Rwanda genocide that is being thrown around by analysts, when they are commenting on the implication of ethnic based secessionist hate in South Sudan, which may lead to similar thing as experienced in Rwanda.

While most commentators are right in quickly referring to the Rwanda Genocide experience in other to caution agitators about the consequences of their actions, it is important to bring us to another perspective that is yet to be properly looked at and fully appreciated.

In 1994, when the ethnic based hate campaign began in Rwanda, the total population of the country was just a little over 6 million.

Hate campaign by Hutu agitators against Tutsi eventually led to genocide, which claimed almost 1 million lives in about 100 days. The casualty figure of lives lost within that short period of time is over 16% of the total population of the country.

South Sudan today has more than 12.8 million populations and 16 % of it is a little below 1 million.

What happened in Rwanda that year was the gruesome murder of innocent and defenseless 16% of its total population due to perceived filling of marginalization and expectation that the mass murder of another ethnic group may possibly lead to separation.

The question we must all ask is that, what happened to Rwanda after losing 16% of its population in mindless killing? Were the expectations of those who lead the hate campaign fulfilled? What does the 1 million lost lives amounted to?

The answer to the above questions remained a united Rwanda.

It was too late, when those who expected division as a result of the mass murder discovered that the killing of their fellow country men and women will not make a country divide. Those who also thought that instigating hatred against fellow country people will help them in their quest for separation were also disappointed. This point to the fact that, if you promote hatred against other ethnicity in your country for whatever reason, you have to be ready to live with the hate, because it won’t help you fulfill your separatist agenda.

In a report by UK Guardian to commemorate 20 years of the Rwanda genocide, victims were reported to have said, they now live in the same country with those who killed their families. The killers are our neighbors now.” One respondent said.

Furthermore, one of the perpetrators of the hate campaign and killing, Thomas says he learned a lesson from the killing. In his views, “You find out killing is not a solution. We killed thinking we would get something and we found out it only brought misery.

What they didn’t want to do before, which is tolerance is what they have now learned to do the hard way. The people are now learning to tolerate the people they hate, though difficult, but necessary. This was made possible through the gacaca court arrangement.

The name Gacaca is derived from the Kinyarwanda word umucaca meaning “a plant so soft to sit on that people prefer to gather on it”. Originally, Gacaca gatherings were meant to restore order and harmony within communities by acknowledging wrongs and having justice restored to those who were victims.

After the conclusion of the Rwandan genocide, the new Rwandan government was having difficulty prosecuting approximately 130,000 alleged perpetrators of the genocide.

Originally, perpetrators of the genocide were to be tried in the ICTR (International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda); however, the vast number of perpetrators made it highly improbable that they would all be convicted.

Given that there was insufficient resources to organize first-world courts then the Gacaca system had to be preferred over the only alternative to the Gacaca system for local communities which might have been revenge. Rwanda implemented the Gacaca court system which necessarily evolved to fit the scenario from its prior form of traditional cultural communal law enforcement procedures.

What must be understood here is that, in this 2019 in South Sudan particularly, any secessionist group that gained notoriety with hate speech is as good as a nuisance and misplaced agitation. It will never achieve its aim. Rwanda teaches us that, not even the death of 16% of the total population will change this fact.

In other words, you can instigate hate as much as you want in your agitation, you can even lead the country to war and genocide, but one fact is clear, you will never achieve anything. Not the separation, not the fulfillment. So why promote hatred among people on the basis of quest for separation?

Additional lesson learned from Rwanda is that, instigating hatred against fellow human being on the basis of ethnicity will not be rewarded by the global community. Hate speech is a crime in international law. The world didn’t reward Hutu’s in Rwanda; it won’t reward any other agitators in any part of the world.

The South Sudan civil war, which claimed about 500 lives, also offers another lesson. Despite losing that magnitude of casualties, the aims of the promoters of the war were never achieved. The global community will not aid personal ambition of individuals or groups, at the expense of the general good.

It is on this basis that the Foundation for Peace Professionals is calling on the leaders in South Sudan to prevail on their sons and daughters to allow reason prevail. The need for peace cannot be over emphasized. All those who succeeded in their agitation across the country only did, because of their decency and peacefulness. The world saw that though they are agitating for a cause, but they did it decently within the confine of the international standard. The same cannot be said of the agitation in South Sudan. I appeal that we shouldn’t allow South Sudan become a 21st century Rwanda, which only offers 16% of its dead population a slogan, never again. genocide experience in 1994, Rwanda continues. In remembering its dead population during the ugly tragedy, a museum was created in their honor with a bold inscription written on it ‘’Never Again’’. This is the best that has happened to those victims of human cruelty.

By Dut Deng Kok, Juba, South Sudan (PW Media)

Honesty, is the Christians habit, not violations

People often feel it is okay to violate a minor traffic law or two or perhaps to cheat “a little bit” on their taxes, but God and His laws work much differently. God sees everything we do, hears everything we say, and He really does care about how we treat His law. While the Lord Offers forgiveness for our sins, it doesn’t mean there aren’t consequences for breaking God’s law. Amazingly, some Christians say that any attempt to obey God’s law amounts to legalism. Yet Jesus said if you really love God, you’ll do what He asks. So, is obedience really legalism? Take time to read this Study Guide carefully. Eternal consequences are at stake!

1. Does God really see and take note of you personally?
“You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees” (Genesis 16:13). “O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; you understand my thought afar off. You… are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O LORD, You know it altogether” (Psalm 139:1–4). “The very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Luke 12:7).
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Answer: Yes. God knows you and every person on earth better than we know ourselves. He takes a personal interest in every human being and sees all that we do. Not one word, thought, or deed is hidden from Him.

Search the Bible for God’s will. It is your only safety.
2. Can anyone be saved in His kingdom without obeying His Word?
“Not everyone who says to Me,‘Lord,Lord,’shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
“If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17). “He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Hebrews 5:9).

Answer: No. Scripture is very clear on this. Salvation and the kingdom of heaven are for those who obey the Lord’s commands. God does not promise eternal life to those who merely make a profession of faith or are church members or are baptized, but rather to those who do His will, which is revealed in Scripture. Of course, this obedience is possible only through Christ (Acts 4:12).

3. Why does God require obedience? Why is it necessary?
“Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:14).
“He who sins against me wrongs his own soul; all those who hate me love death” (Proverbs 8:36).
“The LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive” (Deuteronomy 6:24).
Answer: Because only one path leads to God’s kingdom. All roads do not lead to the same place. The Bible is the map—a guidebook with all the instructions, warnings, and information on how to safely reach that kingdom. To disregard any of it leads us away from God and His kingdom. The universe of God is one of law and order—including natural, moral, and spiritual. Breaking any of these laws has fixed consequences. If the Bible had not been given, people would have sooner or later discovered, by trial and error, that the great principles of the Bible exist and are true. When ignored, they result in sickness, torment, and unhappiness of every kind. Thus, the words of the Bible are not merely advice that we can accept or ignore without consequences. The Bible even tells what these consequences are and explains how to avoid them. A person cannot live any way he wishes and still become Christ like—any more than a builder can ignore the blueprints for a house without running into trouble. This is why God wants you to follow the blueprint of Holy Scripture. There is no other way to become like Him and, thus, be fitted for a place in His kingdom. There is simply no other way to true happiness.
4. Why does God permit disobedience to continue? Why not destroy sin and sinners now?
“Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him” (Jude 1:14, 15).“As I live, says the LORD, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God” (Romans 14:11).
Answer: God will not destroy sin until everyone has been fully convinced of His justice, love, and mercy. All will finally realize that God, by asking for obedience, is not trying to force His will upon us, but rather is trying to keep us from hurting and destroying ourselves. The problem of sin is not settled until even the most cynical, hardened sinners are convinced of God’s love and confess that He is just. It will take, perhaps, a major catastrophe to convince some, but the horrible results of sinful living will finally convince all that God is just and right.

All who choose not to follow Christ will finally be destroyed with the sin they love
5. Will the disobedient actually be destroyed?
“God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment” (2 Peter 2:4). “All the wicked He will destroy” (Psalm 145:20).
“In flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:8).
Answer: Yes. The disobedient, including the devil and his angels, will all be destroyed. This being true, surely it is time to abandon all fuzziness regarding what is right or wrong. It is not safe for us to depend on our own notions and feelings of right and wrong. Our only safety is depending on God’s Word. (See Study Guide 11 for details on the destruction of sin and Study Guide 8 on Jesus’ second coming.)

6. You want to please God, but is it really possible to keep all of His commandments?
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find” (Matthew 7:7). “Be diligent [study] to present yourself approved to God … rightly dividing the word of truth” (Timothy). “If any one wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God”(John 7:17).“Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you”(John 12:35).“As soon as they hear of me they obey me” (Psalm 18:44).
Answer: God promises to keep you from error and lead you safely to all truth if you will (1) pray earnestly for guidance, (2) sincerely study God’s Word, and (3) follow truth as soon as you are shown.

7. Does God count people guilty for disobeying Bible truth that has never been made clear to them?
“If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see. ‘Therefore your sin remains” (John 9:41). “To him who knows to do well and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17). “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you” (Hosea 4:6). “Seek, and you will find” (Matthew 7:7).
Answer: If you have had no opportunity to learn a certain Bible truth, God does not hold you accountable for it.The Bible teaches that you are responsible to God for the light (knowledge of right) you have. But don’t be careless with His mercy! Some refuse or neglect to study, seek, learn, and listen and they will be destroyed because they have “rejected knowledge. “To play the ostrich in these crucial matters is fatal. It is our responsibility to search diligently for truth.

The children in Jesus' sight

The Children in Jesus’ face

Children in the New Testament and Old Testament. “Little girl,” Jesus says, “Get up!” (Mark 5:41). This is the only time we overhear Jesus actually talk to a child in the New Testament. The problem is, the little girl is dead. Why doesn’t Jesus have conversations with any living children? And, for that matter, why aren’t there very many children populating the pages of New Testament texts to begin with.

How are children used in the New Testament? Children are not main characters in any of the narratives in the New Testament—neither in the gospels nor in Acts. This is not unusual for the ancient world. Although Jesus does interact with children—blessing them (Mark 10:13-16), healing them (John 4:46-54), raising them from the dead (Luke 8:49-56)—they are never the focus of the story. When they do appear, their function is to tell us something about Jesus, the coming kingdom, or what ideal discipleship should look like (see, e.g., Matt 11:16-19; Luke 7:31-35). Children are never in the story to teach us something about children themselves. They are used to think through other issues important to the community.

When we turn from the narratives to the letters, we find a similar situation. Although Paul does often use images of children to describe his relationship with the communities he founded (e.g., 1Thess 2:11; 1Cor 4:14-21), he does not seem to give much thought to the children actually living in those communities. The one time he does mention them in passing (1Cor 7:14) he is using them to make an argument about why a Christ believer ought to remain with a non-Christ believing spouse. Paul’s focus is not the children themselves.

What was expected from children?
In letters that carry Paul’s name, but whose actual authorship scholars question, children do come into focus a bit more. Roman ideology held that one need only look at a man’s household to see if he was leadership material. If his own household was not well managed—that is, if his wife, children, and slaves did not obey him—why should anyone trust him to manage other responsibilities? The Pastoral epistles (1 and 2 Timothy and Titus) borrow this kind of reasoning and argue that any leader of a Christ believing community should be able to keep his children obedient (e.g., 1Tim 3:1-5; Titus 1:6). This idea is also found in the “household codes” of Colossians (Col 3:18-4:1) and Ephesians (Eph 5:22-6:9). The big difference is that the writers of these latter two letters speak directly to children, not just about them. This is unusual for the New Testament. But it is a good evidence for the assumption that children could be educated to make appropriate decisions, even if that decision is obedience. The necessity of obedience would have made perfect sense to Jewish, Roman, and Hellenistic audiences since children were understood to lack the rational capacities of (male) adults. Education, accompanied at times by physical force (see, e.g., Prov 10:13; 1Cor 4:21), was necessary for a child to mature into a complete (adult) human being.
We should perhaps not be surprised that children are not the main focus of the New Testament. After all, neither Jesus nor Paul have any children of their own to worry about. It’s significant that both Jesus and Paul teach that God will radically reshape reality very soon. This lent urgency to Jesus’s proclamation of the kingdom and Paul’s proclamation of the return of Christ. In light of this urgency, children, for all the good they promised families, were often seen as impediments to full commitment to this new reality. Indeed, Jesus declares that in the new age people will not marry (Matt 22:30; Mark 12:25; Luke 20:35-36) and thus, presumably, will not have children.
There are differing opinions about child evangelism; some view it as unethical, manipulative even abusive. Therefore, it is wise for children’s ministry workers (especially those involved in child evangelism) to have a theology of child evangelism … not just any organized system of beliefs but a biblical theology of child evangelism. The latter will help the children’s ministry worker build convictions about his ministry. Moreover, it will determine how he does ministry among children as well as provide him with a ready defense. We will begin this paper by looking at the Bible to determine what it has to say about children and their conversion.
Children in the Old Testament
In Deut. 4:1-8, Moses urged the Israelites to obey God’s laws on the basis of promise of life and possession of the land (v.1). He also warned them of the consequences of disobedience – death as in the case of Baal-peor (v.3). God’s laws are able to grant wisdom and even the nations recognized it (v.6). These nations would praise Israel for her wisdom, attributing it to her privilege and blessings of having righteous laws and a God who is near and answers their prayers (vs.7-8).
In Deut. 4:9-10, Moses reminded the people not to forget what they had seen … God’s miraculous works at Mt Horeb where the people and their children heard God giving the Ten Commandments (Exo. 19:10-11; 20:1-18). Moses again reminded the people to obey God’s laws in Deut. 6:1-9 … laying before them the goal of fearing the LORD evidenced by a life of obedience to God and His Word. This goal was not only for the present generation then but also for their children and grandchildren (vs.1-2). The first priority of parents was their own obedience – God’s word was to be on their hearts (vs.5-6) – then they were to teach it to their children (v.7). They were to teach diligently, impressing God’s word upon their children using reminders (vs.7-9). These same principles are applicable to Christian parents today.
Deut. 11:18-21 is essentially a repetition of Deut. 6:1-9 on the teaching ministry of parents with one difference – the (promise of) possession of the land is “as long as the heavens remain above the earth” (v.21), that is, forever.
Deut. 31:9-13 was not addressed to parents but to the priests and elders. They were to read God’s laws publicly to all the people when they assembled every seven years for the Feast of Booths so that the people (even the very young children who did not know God’s laws; see v.13) would learn and fear the LORD. Then it was rare for an ordinary Israelite to possess a copy of the Scriptures so parents would teach their children through their experience and memory of God’s works and laws. Therefore, this public reading of the law every seven years was significant for children in that it helped them establish the source and authority of what they had learnt.
In Psa. 78:1-8, the psalmist reminded the Israelites to teach their children about God’s works so that they in turn would pass it on to their children – the goal was that they would put their confidence (i.e., trust) in God and keep His commandments. The negative example of the first generation of Israelites who came out of Egypt was set before them (v.8). As seen from all the Old Testament passages discussed above, one predominant theme is the transmission of truth (of God’s works and laws) from one generation to the next generation so that the latter might learn to fear and obey God.