On 26th April 2021, the Presidency released a statement on the shooting of Bishop-Elect, Rt. Rev. Christian Carlassare in Rumbek by unidentified gunmen.
We ask: Was it because it was a white man shot or a Bishop?
Ordinary South Sudanese are killed almost every single day and we’ve never seen the presidency coming out to condemn such killings. For instance, in the recent raids by suspected armed youths from Warrap State on Bul Community in Mayom or the recent killings that transpired in Yirol over a girl who was eloped by another community. These attacks left scores dead.
It is the responsibility of the government to protect the civil population- both national and foreign from any harm. It’s an affront when the presidency chooses when to “condemn” and when not to.
Every single life is precious. The attack in Rumbek on Bishop-Elect Rt. Rev. Christian Carlassare, is an act that deserves every condemnation thereof. It’s an act that requires imminent investigation into the shambolic attack. However, this same condemnation must be done on every single life lost in South Sudan.
The presidency keeps repeating erroneous decisions. Just this past week, they shamefully flew our flag at half mast for the death of Idriss Deby, former Chadian leader. Yet, South Sudanese lose hundreds of people every single day, some those who had made significant contributions to the good of the nation.
From a diplomatic point of view, it is right to grief with a neighboring country, but to fly the flag at half mast for a country with lesser or no contribution to our national growth and agenda, is not only myopic, but also a clear indication that there is no vision in place and the Presidency’s priorities are upside-down.
Ordinary South Sudanese are impoverished, dying of hunger on the streets, state institutions have failed to the core and yet the state focuses on ceremonious undertakings of little significance.
Corruption is at record high, children are being born with deformities in oil producing areas, cattle are being raided, farms destroyed, road attacks are rampant, yet no arrests are made, no one is being held accountable and someone claims to control the state. Where’s the responsibility here? Put simply: It is a presidency of shame.
South Sudanese issues simply can not be handled by Kiir and his cohorts. They’re only enriching themselves at the expense of the masses.
Kiir and his security apparatuses will look at an unarmed critic who talks in Juba as a threat to National Security, but they forget that it is the men who shoot civilians at will, let loose by the State that are a threat, both to his regime and to all South Sudanese.
For this country to prosper, the lawless bloodthirsty youths must be brought to book, conspirators held accountable, rule of law respected if ever there is a government, much less a Presidency at all.
