May is an historically significant month both in the world arena as well as domestically in the Republic of South Sudan. From International Labour Day on 1st of May through to 14th of May, 1796, when Dr. Edward Jenner conducted the first successful vaccination against smallpox, the month is associated with war, victory, and victory. May 16th commemorates the day in 1983 when the Sudan People’s Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M) commenced, an eventful period in the nation’s history. These events make us ask an elementary question: *Who is the enemy of the Republic of South Sudan?
A Month of Firsts
May is full of milestones in world history. International Workers’ Day is celebrated as workers’ rights’ anniversary, as is the May 2nd, 2011, assassination of Osama bin Laden, an international security milestone. May 3rd is International Press Freedom Day, the symbol of freedom of the press, and May 8th in Europe and May 9th in Russia is Victory Day, commemorating the victory in the Second War. May 5th, 1961, Alan Shepard’s flight in space expanded human frontiers, as did Jenner’s vaccine revolutionize medicine. For the May opening in contemporary South Sudan, SPLA/M history will bear testament to an inheritance of hope and resilience. All of these, in combination, are the backdrop of advancement and struggle, against which is set the ills of contemporary South Sudan.
Lessons from “An Enemy of the People”
The 1882 Henrik Ibsen play, An Enemy of the People, is used as lens through which the agony of South Sudan is read. The play is about Dr. Thomas Stockmann, a doctor whose pursuit of his vocation as a doctor leads him to the discovery that his town’s spa waters are contaminated. The mayor, his brother Peter Stockmann, is an enemy of truth for business interests, activating the conflict between private conscience and public power. Dr. Stockmann’s credo—”The strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone” (Act 5)—bears testimony to the courage of the truth speaking in some of the voices of opposition against the nation.
The play is also critical of the media. The People’s Messenger, which belongs to the interests of the elites, prioritizes pleasing those in power rather than telling the truth. Such is the nature of media in South Sudan, whereby the media houses sometimes prioritize power over self-accountability, gag opposition, and favor telling stories for pleasing the powerful elites.
Naming The Enemies of South Sudan
The political and social issues of South Sudan have generated a list of “development enemies:”
- Corrupt Officials: There are corrupt officials who plunder development funds while leaving their people in poverty.
- Oppressors: Oppressors ensure segregation as well as misery in the form of suppressing human rights.
- *Killers: Violence, both conflictual or criminal in nature, creates insecurity and loss.
- Robbers and cattle raiders: They disrupt rural economies and communities through robbery and force.
- Warmongers: Warmongers exacerbate humanitarian crises in their quest for war for their purposes.
- Propagandists will also generate strife as well as discredit institutions’ credibility
- Tribalists and Egoists: Tribalism or egoism destroys unity
- Sycophants and Traitors: Sycophancy encourages government failure as well as disregard for
- Liars and Defectors : Deception is lying, which – Land Grabbers: Land grabs and forced evictions threaten livelihood and heritage.
- Foreign actors and partners: Foreign actors that take advantage of the weaknesses in South Sudan weaken sovereignty.
These enemies—foreign pressure and domestic influences—are reflections of an intricate system of issues based on power, greed, and divisiveness.
A Path Forward: Forgiving, Loving, and Pursuing Justice
It is important to identify such enemies, but what is done with them is important too. The Quranic commands of justice and mercy—”Let them pardon and forgive” (Quran 24:22)—and the scriptural declarations of “Love your enemies and pray for them which torment you” (Matthew 5:44) are mandates to practice. The Ubuntu philosophy of Africa, which advocates human interdependence, is in harmony with such an ideal and prescribes dignity for enemies as well. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission in post-break-down South Africa is an example of such an effort, wherein retribution came second.
Love, mercy, forgiveness, and justice can lead the nation of South Sudan toward reconciliation. The parable of the sheep (Luke 15:7) is an appeal for peace in the midst of strife. There is reflection—a looking within, where all of us must consider asking, Am I in some way an enemy of my nation? As taught in John 8:7, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone.”
Conclusion
South Sudan is at the crossroads, its destiny forever tied with the global world as well as with its pursuit of liberty. Oppression, corruption, disunity, foreign manipulation are its enemies, familiar with us all, but the key shall not rest in vendetta. Accountability, compassion, unity can heal the past of the South Sudanese as they construct toward the future where the question of “Who is the enemy?” is rewritten as “How do we heal?” The challenge is inwards—to make its enemies co-creators of its peace, prosperous nation.
