As the country has commemorated 9th July, the Independence Day, permit me dear readers to bath this very important day with reminders, salutations and assurances of this peace we have at hand now. Firstly, I would be remiss if I do not salute the late Dr. John Garang de Mabior, the founding father of the Republic of South Sudan who fought wars of liberation and pulled the then Southern Sudan closer to self-determination.
Secondly, I salute H.E President Salva Kiir Mayardit aka Joshua who took Southern Sudan to the bathroom which came out with a different name, the Republic of South Sudan. Without him during liberation and independence gaining, South Sudan would not have achieved independence. Thirdly, I salute all the martyrs whose blood cemented our national foundation and all the militants who fought like lions just to have a country of their own like this. There are a lot of people or countries to salute and appreciate for their invisible support to liberate South Sudan and make it independent like this today.
The Independence Day celebration somehow dismays people when wounded heroes and heroines leap here and there with their crutches, but this is a bit better, but a minute of silence given to remember martyrs make one shed tears, unknowingly. But this is shortly interrupted by a look at the flag of South Sudan flying in the sky to signify freedom, sovereignty, independence and all an independent country possesses. While celebrating it annually, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and its military wing, the SPLA must be accorded full respect and honor for liberating the country, this forever remains one of the indelible achievements of SPLM as a dominant party.
The emergence of other political parties makes the SPLM look like it has gone astray but it has actually not, as it is being led by the very person who participated in merging these four pure and innocent letters, SPLM. I promise publicly that I will remain an SPLM cadre without additional alphabetical letters until Jesus comes, and when will Jesus come? A big reminder of this very D-day is the appointing speech of Dr. John Garang in Rumbek. The other parts of the speech match not with this article, but the matching and interesting part of it is the part that says ‘’ Salva Kiir is my only steadfast colleague, he will be the one to take Southern Sudan to the bathroom’’. Hmm…. I wish I was there to ask him where he was going to. People with a high degree of understanding said Dr. John Garang has already chosen his successor indirectly while still alive.
This, however, was not understood because it was like Jesus’ speech during the last supper. He emphasized on many things as if he would not have time again to talk, which was actually true. After the end of the appointing occasion, he called Salva Kiir to talk privately behind the plane, but the outcome of that talk could just be guessed like he was promising his deputy as he was journeying. When the merciless helicopter carrying Dr. John Garang crashed, the tragedy shocked all the nations to the core. But the weather gesticulated that Dr. Garang was a son of a lesser God, how dare the sun be shining terribly but not hot and one could see stars shining in the daytime. A lot of miracles happened that day, I’m a living witness.
When the government officials sat down to choose who would succeed Dr. Garang, only one person remembered the aforementioned part of Dr. Garang’s speech and relieved people by telling President Kiir to sit on the throne and the whole lot was seconded, but at first, everybody behaved like they would become successors at once. Now, for those who think they may overthrow President Kiir, ‘forget’, he was chosen by the history of South Sudan, and he has fully succeeded Dr. Garang even in being a son of a lesser God. If miracles were to continue happening, one would just hear a laughing sound around the tomb of Dr. John Garang appreciating Salva Kiir for his perseverance and leniency. A leader like Salva Kiir Mayardit will never be gotten, just bring another president today in power, believe me, in two-three months’ time, nobody will attend the funeral of the other.
Another reminder of the day is that decorations around the tomb of Dr. Garang are fading, and it is good for it to remain shining to show our love for him and his beloved family. The flag placed on the rooftop of the tomb must keep flying to entertain and make him believe that South Sudan is moving in the right direction. The last reminder is for the controversial Abyei. Abyei has been almost a no man’s land for years now, but this year or the next, as peace prevails, I urge the government to settle it so that our citizens in Abyei live a good life without massacres like those that happen as a result of it being pulled by Sudan and South Sudan.
Finally, this year’s independence celebration is incomparable as the country celebrates it together with peace. This peace is everlasting. The significances it has, even the CPA didn’t have then. For example, who went to Rome in 2005 to have his/her feet kissed by Pope? Nobody, that means it is a God-given peace. Implement it to the fullest and keep it well.
The author is a medical student, University of Juba.