Unnecessary Voices: South Sudan Crisis

It’s one thing to have an opinion and another to incite violence and I’m starting to think some of us are confusing the two. Over the past 4 weeks South Sudan has been under crisis, crisis that killed many, injured many, displaced many, oppressed many and depressed many. One way or another we have all been affected by the ongoing crisis, and I completely understand that we are all under very stressful days that we might say one or two things out of anger about the ongoing crisis. I also understand that social networks are almost a therapy session for most of us as it is a way to able to air out your feelings and many in the same situation would understand, comfort you and make you feel better. And I can also say that I understand some of us felt the need to put out an opinion to be discussed or maybe feelings to be relieved, I also understand that. What I do not understand is someone who has less experience with the ongoing crisis (meaning someone who wasn’t / isn’t even present during the crisis) inciting violence and war over social networks, I keep asking myself whether its because they are not in South Sudan right now and their lives are not at stake? Or maybe because they did not experience that fear when we in Juba were hearing gunshots, bombs and heavy fighting for continuous 3 days? Maybe its because they aren’t at the frontlines in Bor / Bentiu / Malakal trying to flee for their lives? I just can’t find the reason why someone would promote violence and war in a place they’re not even present within, even worse… some place they’re supposed to call home.

No, we are all not happy about the lives lost, No we are not alright with the injured, no we are not okay with the children made orphans, no we are not at all ignoring the matter at hand but yes, we do know better than to be inciting violence or war, why? Oh I’m guessing you weren’t there either, because we’ve experienced war, we know what its capable of, violence was never the answer, we’ve been there before we know its not the answer.

Shame on you for promoting war instead of peace, shame on you for asking a brother to hurt another, for asking your family to turn on one another, SHAME ON YOU. Be a better person than that, stop promoting war and if you can’t stop… For the sake of humanity, I ask you to remain silent.