Tribalizing things Will Take Our Young Nation to Nowhere

  John Adoor Deng, Australia

Many among you will agree with me that social life setup in Africa is much glue up in the notion of tribes. The people that you relate with in most part of your life times are your tribe men and women, and as young child you only grew among your tribe people, speaking the very same language, dance the same tune; eat the same type of food, and more importantly share the same environment. Scientifically and anthropologically, one world view is shaped by this knowledge-ability.

Thus, it is not a surprise to hear the utterances of this world view being penetrated into the system of governance in the country. As government makes decisions presumably base on merit and connection such as the appointment of officials, people of such world view would start speculating after seeing none of their tribe’ person appointed, that the appointment was tribalistic. The question would be: who is tribalistic here? It is the one thinking that his or her tribe men must be appointed? Or one who appointed people with which to him is based on merit?  Obviously, the tribalistic person is one that thinks that any appointment must come around his or her proximity.

The government in both developed and developing countries will never work that ways. The government will never be base on tribes; it is actually a tribeless institution that is guided both by conventional laws and international practice. This is contrary with how our people in South Sudan think, in fact majority of people have developed uninformed concept of tribalism. They criticise any steps that our wise President, His Excellency General Salva Kiir Mayardit took. Some went as far as saying that the appointments he makes are tribally guided. To me it is an absolute lie; President has numerous advisors plus his very wisdom. With this rich stance, how and where can tribalism come in? After all, when capable Dinka person is appointed as Kiir is naturally a dinka, does that constitute tribalism?  How do you separate capabilities and ability to do things with the so-called tribal appointment?

This will take me to shed light on the notion of majoricity vs minoricity. Of course in every country in Africa, there are majority tribes and minor tribes. In Kenya, Kikuyu is a majority follow by Luos. In South Sudan, Dinka is a majority tribe follow by Nuer and the rests are minorities. It is these set up that some times precipitate the talks of tribalism. However, Dr Garang once said, “There is no body’s majority and minority…” he was basically right to say that, indeed there are no such things as majority tribes in government. The notion of majority that people talk about in government is of the parties. Example in South Sudan, SPLM is a majority party. It can win election by high margin or passed laws unanimously. Parties recruit members’ base on their policies and vision. A minority party is one that lack vision or poor in selling it polices and vision to the masses.  If at all there is tribalism in South Sudan, where does it come from? And who is being tribalised against? What goes around come around, there are always voices of complaints from minority groups. These groups think that they are left out in the government or their numbers do not match with others. Of course there may be some elements of truth in this but over all if complain come from Kuku for example that their numbers do not match with Nuer, how can that  be possible? How, many counties are in Nuer land compare with Kuku? How many constituencies in Kuku land vs Nuer? How many States in South Sudan are Nuer situated then Kuku?  Arithmetically, the match will never work and if this is the talks about tribalism then it is baseless and must not be encouraged. Finally dear readers, I am convinced that the continuing talks on perceived tribalism will take us to an absolute nowhere but only to promote tribal hatred. Let us allow the government of the day to stoke its ministries with whoever it believes fit the criteria. Let us be nationalist that look at capabilities.  I have no problem with most Anuak MPs being made ministers as long as they are capable to articulate development in their respective ministries.

The author is John Adoor Deng, a post graduate student studying Masters in Public Relations at the University of Southern Queensland. He can be reach at revadoor@yahoo.com