Does Ateny Wek speak for the Presidency or the family of Gen. Paul Malong?

By Lucy Ayak Malek, Nairobi, Kenya

Peace and reconciliation process between Paul Malong and Dau Aturjong, Aweil, Sept 2016

 

August 10, 2017 (SSB) — A couple of days ago I authored an appeal in form of an open letter to President Salva Kiir, asking him to allow my husband to seek medical attention abroad. The appeal was published on change.org, paanluelwel.com, and other media outlets.

As I had stated in the appeal, that since May when my husband was relieved of his duty in the National Army, he left Juba to avoid escalation of tensions, but was blocked in Yirol while on his way to Aweil forcing him to return to Juba.

Since then, Gen. Malong has been held under confinement without any official public statement concerning his restricted freedom. The restriction on his movement comes against the backdrop of doctor’s advice for specialized treatment as a matter of urgency. Perhaps the service his condition requires is not available in Juba.

Mr. Ateny’s respond to my appeal accusing me of international attention seeking and having fun. Despite means response by presidential spokesperson, Mr. Ateny Wek Ateny, I wish to address some of those inconsistencies as follows:

South Sudan civil war: The war of fears, no substance for it

By Nhial Bol Aken, Juba, South Sudan

August 9, 2017 (SSB) — When one of my friends asked me to tell him the root causes of the current war, I was prompted to respond that the war which engulfed our country is rooted in fears from one another.

I explained that the war we are witnessing is a war of fears and that the outsiders seem to ignore the claim invented by some of the former liberation fighters who liberated us from external colonialism of the Arabs.

What used to unite us was collective frustration against the Arabs of the Sudan now with independence, there is nothing in common and it seems that there is no political will to address the issues related to land disputes, bitterness, and grievances, all the local conflicts over lands, identities, and control of resources and power.

Lessons from the 2017 Kenyan election: Is democratic South Sudan 30-40 years away?

By Philip Thon Aleu, Juba, South Sudan

The Ugandan election: do or die scenario

August 9, 2017 (SSB) — At the onset, I would like to make it clear that no person in her/her right mind would wish for disenfranchised and miserable communities, but realities must be said publicly to prepare for the worst possible outcome. Having said that, it’s necessary to try to figure out when will a democratic South Sudan, the dream nation that generations of men and women fought for in about six decades (1955 – 2011), be attained.

The SPLM-led war of liberation (1983-2005) and Interim Period in Southern Sudan (2005-2011) succeeded partly because the most marginalized people were promised a democratic, secular and prosperous Sudan/South Sudan.

At Independence in July 2011, the new country had very remote from or no single indicator of a democratic state. The SPLM leaders never provided basic services like roads to connect villages to towns. Babies in the countryside continue to die of preventable diseases like measles, tetanus, TB, malaria and watery diarrhea because the free medicines – supplied by World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF – were never delivered to the people to save lives.

The historical songs of the legendary singer, Panan Ajang Kuir Malang

By Awuol Gabriel Arok, Juba, South Sudan

The legendary singer, Panan Ajang Kuir Malang

August 9, 2017 (SSB) — Preeminent yearning for eternity and positive reception for what individuals have done while alive are the only accolades given to them by those they have mentored and fashioned after they are gone from the face of the physical world of flesh and blood, Ajang Kuir Malang was a great giant of literature, crafting both in slapstick and Music.

Ajang Kuir Malang arty style of capturing his fans attention through powerful poetic expressions of observable facts was absolute. He was an icon of literature as manifested in most of his songs.

Agongdhuor, as he was popularly known, was an artist with vocal and powerful voice, during his life time Ajang Kuir Malang was an MC, a musician and a teacher before he met his unfortunate death he was a staff at Upper Nile University.