16/01/2025
Where is humanity in the Sudan? If, our citizens are not protected by warring parties in the Sudan, then what are they expecting us to do in return?
By: Ateny Wek Ateny
January 15th, 2025
History still tells us that before 2011, we were the marginalized communities in the Sudan. We were referred to as “none Arab, none Muslims, Christians and Animists”. After independence, we are now “one people in two nations”, — they say.
Is this true? Are we really one people in two nations, when we were not, few years ago? Did our perceive brothers in Khartoum gives us independence on silver plate? Otherwise, is the random killings of South Sudanese caught in the war zones in the Sudan and particularly in Madeni, really isolated or a reminder of our bitter past? Or this could be the continuation of what led into our secession from them? Nevertheless, where is the government in Sudan, that I said few weeks ago it exists— when I rebuked Gen. Taban Deng for denying there was government in the Sudan? Who is right now, I, or H.E. Gen. Taban Deng G*i the VP, and the Chair for Infrastructure Cluster?
I think Gen. Taban Deng was right. The killings of South Sudanese in the Sudan wherever the clashes ensued between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is a catastrophic confirmation to say the least. There seems to be the same story —- South Sudanese are treated as less humans by both sides in the war in the Sudan. The Burhan’s armed forces are doing nothing to protect our citizens in the Sudan. Let’s see what will thorough investigation as promised by the Sudan brings. I think both parties in the Sudan are both acting like rebels— since no party is according protection of South Sudanese civilians in the Sudan. They are both thirsty for South Sudanese’s lives. I lost confidence in the notion of “one people in the two nations”. It is worrisome, how our people are dying in the Sudan.
But, here in South Sudan, we are protecting Sudanese people in towns and villages. The Sudanese citizens are not only being protected, but, they also enjoy economic privileges even more than the citizens, in the name of this bogus notion “one people in two nations”.
Some Sudanese in our towns are even engaging in serious crimes, theft, promoting prostitution, money laundry, premeditated murder and r**e (the case of little Abuk who was r**ed by the Sudanese’s hawker Sabir Abdallah in Aweil). Yet, we treat the Sudanese who have committed crimes, on the merit of each case. Seldom, if ever, did South Sudanese take the law into their own hands, when they possesses that in good quantity. What do the warring parties in the Sudan trying to tell us? Have they forgotten we are two faces of the same coin with them?
Of course, we have not yet fully grown to become the country of rule of law, but we are the country of great humanity. We are building on rule of law, though we are not in anarchy. We value the life of human being more than anything else. But, if, the Sudanese warring parties don’t respect the lives of South Sudanese, they must also have to anticipate the repercussion of their actions, if they continue this cold blood killings of South Sudanese in the Sudan, unabated.
We were all created by God and have blood running in our veins. Nobody should be killed without the due course of the law. So, the warring parties in Sudan should adhere to the rule of engagement. They mustn’t go house to house to slaughter innocent South Sudanese. This is bad and must stop. We are law abiding citizens, and do not wish to replicate the same thing the Sudanese waring parties are doing in respect to South Sudanese.
Finally, there still mutual interests between two Sudans, but that should not be valued more than the lives of South Sudanese. Our oil — which is our lifelines, runs through Sudan, but protecting the lives of South Sudanese is paramount. The South Sudanese in the Sudan are almost quarter of our total population— and killing them won’t be good on our relations. We are not selling our oil through Sudan in return for Sudan doing anything against our citizens. We have seen the Sudan Ambassador promising investigations into the killings of South Sudanese, but we must see action speaking louder than words. We need the commanders who ordered the killings of our people brought to book. The early the better.
The author is a former Press Secretary in the Office of the President and the views expressed in this articles are how own. He could be reached by email: [email protected]
