Opinion: Fortitude is the only medicine for the people of Rubkona County

By Wicmuon Geng Chan Kuany

July 1, 2020 (SSNN) – Rubkona County is located in the Centre north of Unity State and covers an area of 3,597 Sq.km with a population estimated at 100,236,4. It borders Guit County to the east, Southern Kordofan State to the north, Abiemnhom County to the North West, Mayom County to the west, Koch County to the south, and Parieng County to the northeast.

Rubkona county has two key towns of Rubkona and Bentiu which hosts the state government  with its ten (10) Payams, namely Bentiu, Rubkona, Nhialdiu, Kaljak, Budaang , Panhiany, Dhorbor, Wathjaak, Ngob, and Normlamwuel.

To take you briefly, Rubkona County is one of the oil-producing counties in the oil hub Unity State under the operations of Greater Pioneer Operating Company (GPOC) that has a production capacity of 38,000 barrels per day of high-quality Nile Blend.

Despite the fact that it is one of the oil-producing counties in South Sudan, her people have never been represented fairly neither in the national government nor state government under the able leadership of H.E President Salva Kiir Mayardit since the inception of the comprehensive peace agreement and after the independence of South Sudan in 2011.

As a result of unfair representation in the national and state levels, I felt deeply to acknowledge through article H.E the President and his First Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan that people of Rubkona County shouldn’t be forgotten after we the people of South Sudan had achieved the hard-won independence of South Sudan while during the struggle, people of Rubkona have never turn down their faces for the fight of our freedom and dignity.

However, it is worth mentioning that in the current formation of Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity ( RTGoNU), this great county has not been represented either by the defunct Incumbent Transitional Government of National Unity (ITGoNU) under the leadership of H.E President of the Republic of South Sudan or the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition( SPLM-IO) under the leadership of H.E Dr Riek Machar, the FVP of the Republic of South  Sudan thus, make us wonder whether our politicians’ participation in national and state level’s affairs doesn’t satisfy your respective leaderships.

Do the allocations of national positions based on liberations struggle participation, merit, or loyalty to the leadership?

Liberation Struggle Participation

Anyanya One and Two

To vividly answer this question, the participation of Leek community had never been unquestionable since in the inception of Anyang One, Anyanya Two and bring closer to the formation of the SPLA/M under the leadership of Dr John Garang De Mabior . The people of Rubkona County made serious sacrifices like other communities in the then Southern Sudan. They had offered both material and human resources to the movements that fought for the freedom and dignity of the people of South Sudan. It was undeniable that Rubkona county villages were made the centers for the SPLA during the liberation struggle that granted a nick name to Rubkona County as grandmother’s home ( Dhor-mandong in Nuer dialect).

During the Anyanya one and Anyanya two movements, many sons and daughters of this great county joined the movement with other sons and daughters of the people of the Southern Sudan in pursuits of self- determination for the people of South Sudan with hope for democracy and rule of law to prevail in the self-governing Republic of South Sudan which has come to life today. The notable commanders of Rubkona County under Anyanya one and two were 1st Lt-Gen Paul Dor Lampuar, 1st Lt-Gen Robert Ruai Kuol Jal,  Late Maj-Gen Lok Kerker Dirkar, Late Gen Paulino Thach Ruei Ran, and many other soldiers whose names have not been mentioned in this letter.

Sudan People’s Liberation Army /Movement (SPLA/M)

Besides, in SPLA/M Liberation Struggle, Rubkona sons joined the movement under Dr John Garang De Mabior massively and fought vigorously in all fronts of the liberation struggle for the self-determination of South Sudan. Many of them were killed bravely together with sons and daughters of the people of South Sudan in these fronts for the sake of freedom and dignity of the people of South Sudan. The notable commanders of the SPLA/M under Dr John Garang De Mabior were;-

Young Gen, Koang Tut Doh Thoan

1st Lt- Gen James Gai Yoach Dong

Maj-Gen Stephen Chaap Majuan

Maj-Gen John Turuk Khor Kuai

Maj-Gen Gathuoi Thak Nyuon

Maj-Gen John Gatgach Nhial Diet

Maj-Gen  John Mabieh Gar

Maj-Gen Ruai Khor Yat

Maj-Gen Gueh Duop

Maj-Gen Kerdool Thong

Maj-Gen Kur Yai Nop

Maj-Gen Appolo Mayang Maluit

Maj-Gen Salam Maluit Bol

Brig-Gen Stephen Bhan Mut

Brig-Gen Chabak Machiek Gatluak

Brig-Gen Ngech Opio

Brig-Gen Yien Kuorwuai

And many other Rubkona sons’ generals whose names have not been mentioned in this truncated list of generals and it is indeed very unfortunate that the people of Rubkona County, with their full participation during and after the liberation struggle couldn’t be represented fairly in the national level.

Personal Merit

In the recent South Sudan civil war, Rubkona politicians have sharply divided among different political affiliations with majority politicians sided with H.E President Salva Kiir Mayardit, the President of the Republic of South Sudan and few others who have sided with H.E Dr Riek Machar Teny, the First Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan hence, with implementation of the peace agreement, all these politicians sought positions in their various parties that they have affiliated to but none of them succeeded in either parties. A wave that left us on high water tide of the sea level (political confusion) whether our votes would be needed by either party should the time come for the elections.

In regard to this, we the People of Rubkona have outstanding politicians who are incredibly qualified both academically and politically to work in any given capacity within the national and state jurisdictions but because our participative recognition have been struck off in records, no fair representation have ever been given to the politicians of Rubkona county despite being politically participated.

Under the leadership of H. E President of the Republic of South Sudan, Rubkona sons and daughters who should have been and seek to have given chance to represent the county in the national and state levels with full capacities are mentioned below:-

In Government of South Sudan

Hon. John Dor Majok Duoth

Hon. Robert Ruai Kuol Jal

Hon. Mary Paul Ngundeng

Hon. Laraka Machar Tutroal

Hon. Lam Tungwar Kueiguong

Hon. Thomas Maluit Hoth

Hon. Buai Keake Tutroal

Hon. Goar Paul Ngundeng

Hon. Gibril Tap Gatjiek

Hon. Mary Yoal Badeng

Hon. Stephen Salam Maluit

Hon. Appolo Mayang Maluit

Hon. Nyachieng Biih Tuet

Hon. Mary Gei Majok Pieny

Under the leadership of H. E FVP of the Republic of South Sudan, Rubkona sons and daughters who should have been and still seek to have given chance to represent the county in the national and state levels with full capacities are mentioned below:-

In SPLM-IO

Hon. Eng Faruoq Gatkuoth Kam

Hon. Tor Tungwar Kueiguong

Hon. Eng William Gatjang Gieng

Hon. Simon Jalduong Matuek

Hon. Martin Mabil Koang Dobuol

Hon. Dhoal Koryom Lingling

In fact, we have politicians with vast experiences who can deliver services to the people of South Sudan if given the opportunity in various capacities within and outside the Republic of South Sudan. It is worth mentioning that in any political organization, followers do need to achieve the common goal of an organization when surely the law of reciprocity applies because it is a bond of any political organization.

Loyalty to the leadership

During the election of 2010, majority of the people of Rubkona County casted their votes in favors of H.E President Salva Mayardit that secured him a seat of presidency of the Republic of South Sudan. It was undoubtedly that the majority voters casted their votes in favor of the SPLM party which fought vigorously for the independence of South Sudan. This demonstrated that they were and are unwaveringly supportive to SPLM leadership under H.E President Salva Kiir Mayardit only that their support has never been fairly recognized.

Nevertheless, people of Rubkona have been enduring disappointments and neglects by their own government with fortitude and patience which has been the guiding principle of this hospitable community. Naturally, people of this great county have never sought their political grievances through the violent mean as others do, but patriotically through nonviolent way of seeking political redress which has been misconstrued by their political leaders. They the political leaders push us to adapt the intimidating way of obtaining political leadership as rest of the communities do in a wave of political quagmires but because we still have great hope in SPLM leadership, we will never adopt this destructive political tactic and strategy.

The last but not the last, South Sudan loves us and it is a matter of time for our leaders to realize that they have been neglecting a peace-loving community in the lion share (cake) of the central government of the Republic of South Sudan which they deserve to have a portion on it.

Finally, it is surprisingly mentioned that other counties in the Republic of South Sudan have been recently twice if not triply represented while others didn’t obtain single portion. Look at us! Here we are holding an empty egg while committed to the national duties without use of threat. This is not because we don’t deserve so but because the national interest is greater than the community interest.

Fair and equitable distribution of our resources is the only medicine for a peaceful and prosperous South Sudan under one People one Nation.

The author is a concerned son of Unity state’s Rubkona County. He can be reached via: josephwicmon.lawyer@gmail.com

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