By Chol Peter Majoh
Holding grudges against one another is not yet realized as dangerous, but is the master behind all the revenge attacks and killings in the country. It’s extremely hard for us to let go the rancor and spite, yet I don’t understand why. I don’t see why it seems impossible to let go the wrong committed by someone outside our tribal lineage and possible with those from our household. Why? Think about it. If wounds are curable, why not just a feeling of resentment? Can’t that be cured? For how long shall a brother keep holding grudges against his own brother? For how long shall a South Sudanese keep vexing or irritating another fellow?
Our unique diversity has become a curse rather than a blessing as did God decide. But take a pause and imagine this: If God had created only one tribe in this country, what would this country have been like? It would have been unimaginable. I guess it would be like creating only males without females. Who would have been there to appreciate another’s effort?
To me, being in a country of diverse ethnicities, cultures and traditions is like having a tree covered with leaves, beautified with flowers and routed in the ground by its roots so that it’s complete and healthy.
We South Sudanese are like a tree; our cultures are like flowers, South Sudan is the ground we are rooted or grounded in, and Unity is the root(s) that enable us to stand. Our cultural differences, our tribes, traditions and our borders do not make us different. In fact, God gave them to us so that we appreciate Him and likewise ourselves for them. Suppose, they should make us one and tie us in oneness.
Even as an individual, I don’t see myself uniformly shaped. I have legs created differently from hands, eyes, nose, and all are different and serving different purposes, but one body. So, our little difference must unite us instead of making us keep the grudges burning against ourselves. The saying, “One nation, One people” makes sense if we embrace the fact we are unique and diverse people who must serve the purpose we are placed together on this resourced and featured land, South Sudan. Yeah,”the land of great abundance” as our national anthem says. But because our war and conflicts, we have made it “the land of great scarcity” Think about it!
Back to my point, a unique culture from another tribe is a blissful and an euphoric wonder to behold and enjoy by another from the other part of the country. Contrary, we have failed to recognize this. But rather, we have prejudiced ourselves. Let me tell us, until we are free from all this prejudices, we shall not prosper! Why do I have to say this? Am I against prosperity? It’s absolutely not so.
See, perhaps when you settle your mind from your personal stress (for the country is entirely traumatized) you can observe many unprofitable prejudices that fuel hatred amongst ourselves, created from nowhere so that the past mistakes committed against ourselves are not forgotten. And that’s to say grudges hold so tied against one another for no reasons. Sometimes, many of those prejudices are extremely harmful lies. For example, when I was young I was told there are tribes that eat people. Others are believed to turn from human to lions and so many other lies. All these are like others Political lies which I can’t accept and will never accept anymore. It’s enough that I was scared not to freely interact with people who belong to those tribes at my childhood, but now enough is enough and that must remain there. As I became old I kept observing these myself and proved them wrong.
In Politics, there lies too. Some politicians wanting to win their people’s trust, can create undocumented histories to tell them that a certain tribe did this and that to our gone generations. Let’s not follow these. Some may be true, but we must let it go. To revenge doesn’t solve problem. In real sense, it enlarges destruction.
Let the grudges forever go, embrace ourselves and remain proud of our unity in diversity. We have to cease any form of conspiracy against another tribe, but embrace ourselves and our unique and beautiful cultures. If there’s something to get rid of, that must be grudges against one’s brother. Proudly South Sudanese, we must be.
The author is reachable via email: cholpetermajo@gmail.com,
Cell/WhatsApp: +211(0)922295373