By Chol Peter Majoh
Just a glance at the above title, a book worm has already known where I got it from. This title reminds you of the greatest Africa’s novelist, Chinua Achebe, who died in 2013. I will not go the same direction as Achebe in his book, “No longer at ease”, but I want to convey something to the people of South Sudan in Chinua’s title.
In 2011, our national Flag was lifted up high in the sky, bearing a symbolic yellow star which was a guiding hope, leading the liberation movement towards the Promised Land. It was said, a declaration of independence. Many chicken, sheep, oxen and goats died that day in the name of celebrating the independence of the newborn South Sudan. It was a great day! Thousands of songs were sung. The likes of, ‘we are free at last’ by Kang JJ, ‘Let’s celebrate’ by Emmanuel Kembe, and many other songs hit the air waves. It was a new dawn, a great day. The day all South Sudanese believed was the beginning of rest from the pain and maltreatment they had been experiencing while in the hands of the Khartoum’s government.
Everybody that day had forgot every stress he or she had and looked forward with hope to enjoying the fruits of a young nation newly born to the World. They didn’t say a young nation then, I can remember, they used to say a newborn country.
Few days after the peace deal (CPA), referendum and the declaration of the independence of South Sudan, the guiding star became a national hope and a guiding star towards a sustainable development, security and a South Sudan We fought for. But as time went by, a few miles towards that development, another tragedy struck the nation in 2013 and the Country fitted in the description of Achebe: “NO LONGER AT EASE.”
Until now, the country is still no longer at ease. It’s crippling with poverty and scarcity of health facilities, education and infrastructures, security as well as unemployment, and economic hardship. So, we are no longer at ease! I think everybody knows this.
The South Sudan we thirsted for, we fought for, we sacrificed blood and resources in the name of freedom and independence, is now treating us like there has never been a price paid for.
The fighters fought hoping, even if they might all die, the remnants would enjoy their sacrifice. But this is all in vain. The people for whom sacrifice was made, also need another to offer! I don’t know whether or not it’s what Achebe also described as “things fall apart.”
No better education, no better health facilities, no Agriculture. For Road and communication Network, I may not talk, it’s a struggle.
But though, we hope one day we shall be at ease. That’s my hope. It’s from hardship where softship comes, excuse my language, for my parents didn’t take me to a good school. They were and even now poor. If I break queen’s language, blame me not. I grew up in this war-torn country where education was scarce and people not at ease because of the civil war and poverty.
I don’t want to cease hoping, I believe this no longer at ease will turn to longer at ease or free at last. We said free at last then, but we have not reached that last, we are still struggling to go there; And I am quite certain that, we are nearing to that last. Free at last is not yet made a reality, but soon to come a reality.
Okay, no matter all that’s happening in the country; though we are no longer at ease, I hope, if we later realize, we shall truly come to be sooner at ease. There’s a light ray at the end of the tunnel as there are reports that president pledged to link the states to Juba by construction of international-standard highways, we hope things will change. He also, of recent, pledged to restore peace. All these are good news.
But that shouldn’t keep us in dormancy. We don’t need to sit down to wait for things to happen by chance. we must hope and go forth with efforts and zeal to put this country at ease. We can’t continue to starve, kill ourselves, and our economy affected. No, no, we don’t need that. We need be at ease. It’s enough, haven’t we suffered? This time around is a time to put the country at peace and in order. All the unstable kind of things need stabilization.
It pains us when we see foreigners being ones at ease, and the national in agony of poverty, hardship and highly affected by the economy when the price paid for the country was the blood of their sons, husbands or some of the relatives. It pains! But the day will certainly come when South Sudan shall surely be at ease and that her people enjoy the privileges.
I sometimes question our independence and freedom when I see what the country is going through. We seem living in a perpetual hell or a burning furnace. Nothing seems so right, but only the wrong that seems oft so strong. No longer at ease but in pain, who sees this pain? The poor are daily multiplying and becoming poorer as the few favored by the country’s resources get rich and richer.
Where do we think “our being at ease” will come from? isn’t it from us? Our problem needs our solutions to it. It’s our collective responsibility to get ourselves out of this and find solace ourselves.
Donation won’t do this; foreign aids aren’t able to do it and division amongst us is never a solution. We need to consolidate and join hands together to bring ourselves to be at ease.
Are you a politician, businessman/woman, student, partner, civil servant, or whatever your occupation is? The solution to the no-longer-at-ease situation we’re in is with you. Tribalism, Corruption, revenge killings, robbery, cattle raiding, and communal conflicts are all from us. If we cease the practice of all I listed above, we shall be at ease.
Our struggle for peace shouldn’t be left to the politicians alone, it’s our collective responsibility. And now, we need to smartly start matching with zeal and courage in the struggle to become at ease.
We no longer want to stay in sore pain and suffering, we need peace, security, education, infrastructures and health facilities equipped with modern apparatus.
That’s the country we want. The one worth paid the most difficult sacrifice ever. Cemented by the blood of the heroes and heroines, South Sudan should compensate us.
Now is the time for us to enjoy than to still remain soaked in blood. We are bleeding and we don’t want to continue going through this. It must cease and now it’s the time for it to take a break. We need rest. A genuine rest, we need. To be at ease, means the absence of guns’ shots, raping, raiding, revenge attacks, robbery and corruption, but availability of peace, freedom of speech, health facilities, road and communication network and others you know.
The author is reachable via email: cholpetermajo@gmail.com
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