With tears, grief and sorrow; South Sudanese students’ leaderships on behalf of the students in Kenya, are sending sincere and heartfelt condolences to the families, relatives and friends of the victims who lost their  lives along the Nimule-Juba road on 6th and 8th June, 2017. We are equally sending our condolences to the families and relatives of those who earlier lost their lives  through the same route and through Bor-Juba road.

Power struggle has robbed us of knowledge-reserves meant for the development our beloved Country. Juba is becoming the “Golgotha” of South Sudan. Individuals leaving or going to Juba by road seem to be ‘half dead’ before reaching their destination. Where and how on earth is everyone expected to use the airplane?

We belong to our newly founded tribe called SOUTH SUDAN; we need to speak with one voice against our enemies-the power wrestlers. Therefore, in unison; we condemn the recent killing along the Nimule-Juba road with the strongest terms possible.  It is pathetic, filthy, inhuman, heartless and painful  to watch target killings of innocent civilians who have no reason to die but supposed to be protected by the government or the opposition.

Terrorists are busy exterminating our innocent people but they are not brought to book. Today you will hear it is ‘unknown gunmen.’ Tomorrow, it will be a ‘rebel.’ Are the lives of South Sudanese becoming a “toilet paper” to the government, rebels and the opposition? Where are we heading as a nation? We are in a country where  youths are  said  to be the future yet they die earlier than those fronting them to be the future!

Why  do attacks heighten when there is pressure from International Community?  The attack on 9/4/2016 happened when the United Nations Security Council members were about to visit South Sudan. The recent attack happened when Monday’s IGAD Summit was looming? Why is the attack timed? Is somebody ‘remote controlling’ our lives?

We blame the Government of the Republic of South Sudan for failure to protect the innocent lives of South Sudanese.  What is the role of the government if it cannot provide security? Worse still, the government never gives a proper condemnation of the people dying every time everywhere in the Country unlike the way they respond to anything touching the power.

We also blame the alternative government - the Opposition. If the opposition, especially SPLA-IO (as they admitted) is responsible for the killings, are they worthy being an alternative government? Why has  the opposition failed to condemn incidences at  the Nimule-Juba road ? If SPLA-IO (bush splinter group) is responsible as quoted by the East African , then; is it not a confirmation of terrorism since the same spot had been a scene of civilian maiming? If you intended to attack the government; attack as many government garrisons as you want than attacking the innocent students coming back from school and some business young men and women trying to make their lives and got nothing to do with the government of the day in J1.

We blame the citizens of South Sudan especially the youth for being polarized by politicians.  What have Dinka politicians done to you and your children? What have Nuer politicians done to you and your children for you are from the same tribe? What have Zande politicians done to your future and that of your children than having taken their children to good schools abroad under government scholarship and left you uneducated? What have Toposa politicians done to you and your children than leaving  you to die of simple diseases ? What have Shilluk politicians done to than exposing you to starvation? All youths from all the so called tribes must wake up and embrace their new tribe called  SOUTH SUDAN to curve these politicians who are busy building their dynasties out of our ignorance…wake up right now and save South Sudan from sliding! The Country is wailing and crying for help from the attack of the merciless hungry “warlords.”

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) have fallen short when it comes to highway target killings. They never condemn or give a comprehensive report on what is happening along these roads. We task the JMEC to work with the necessary institutions to find out what is happening and give a neutral and impartial report on the same. In an organized setting,  there is nothing much to call human right abuses than what is currently happening.

As the 65th tribe called SOUTH SUDAN (students and youths), we are urging our colleagues, compatriots and comrades in Uganda, Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan (Equatoria, Upper Nile and Bahr el Ghazal regions) and across the globe to condemn these vices and never accept to succumb to the interest of the enemies of our co-existence who think that power is sweeter than our lives.

They are comfortable and stronger when they see us divided as per our tribes, they are in comfort zone when they see us butchering the innocent ones of our own and they are tapping further at least to see revenge or genocide (God forbid!).  Let’s not appease the evil, let’s stand as a nation and we will pass the trial. As students, we must take our role right away from here to do more research and expose those responsible for such atrocities whether they are in Fangak, Nimule or outside South Sudan.

Wail not my Country, God and students are here for you!

By South Sudanese Students’ Association in Kenya (SSSAK) and its affiliate leaderships: South Sudanese University and College Students’ Association in Nakuru (SSUCSA-N), and South Sudanese Students’ Union in North Rift & Western Kenya (SSSU NR & WK)