A certain artiste composed a song in Dinka language. The lyric goes…Tɔŋ kën abë we ŋot abën………., which literally translates as this knife will cut all of you. Why did you sharpen the knife and put it down like this, the song continues? Looking at what is going on in South Sudan, one can say the song fits the status quo. Its fittingness lies in the fact that the knife is cutting people who are deemed uncuttable. What a knife! What a sharp knife! Wow!
Who knew the knife would cut Dr. Riek Machar Teny? Who knew the knife would cut Gen. Pagan Amum? Who knew the knife would cut Gen. Paul Malong Awan? Who knew the knife would cut Gen. Akol Koor Kuc? Who knew the knife would cut Dr. James Wani Igga? Who knew the knife would cut Hon. Nhial Deng Nhial? Who knew the knife would cut Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel?
Not long ago, a certain man was travelling to a cattlecamp on foot. He was holding a spear. In the olden days, spears were the weapons of defense and so, they always stayed sharpened. This man was holding a very sharp spear. Looking at it that the sun was setting down and his destination was still far, he resorted to running a little bit to arrive in time. While running, the man slipped off and fell down badly. When he was falling down, he tried helping himself with a spear by piercing the ground.
In the process, he fell down while wiping the spear with his right hand. The spear cut his hand between the right thumb and index finger and because the spear went interosseous, the cut went all the way to the base of the little finger. The man stood up, saw the injury, folded his hand and ran to the cattlecamp. Reaching the cattlecamp, he narrated what happened to him. When he unfolded his hand to let people see, one person said it would heal. But he said even if wounds heal on this earth, this particular wound would never heal.
So, when you tell Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel now that his wound would heal, he will tell you even if wounds heal on this planet, this wound of mine would never heal. The wound is very deep, I tell you. What charge makes an official of his calibre be relieved, demoted from the rank of General to private, and then dismissed from the army? I guess he must have done a capital crime. Yes, a public servant who wrongs a nation deserves such a punishment.
A country is bigger than an individual. So, anyone who thinks the knife could not cut him/her is a liar. Even the person cutting people with the knife now is cuttable. When his turn comes, the knife would not refuse to cut him. So, the safest person is that who respects the constitution. Once the knife cuts you, you lose your immunity. You become a prey for security apparatus. You are caught and put in prison. In prison, you are no longer H.E, Hon, Gen, Dr, or whatever title you previously had. You are merely an inmate. The law then takes its course.
Yesterday, Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel was a complainant in the court case of Dr. Riek Machar Teny. But today, the likelihood of him being a defendant is high. This brings me to a popular Dinka proverb that says God puts an ostrich feather on your head, but when He gets annoyed, He can pull it off and put in your asshole to discipline you. It is him today, but it will be you tomorrow. So, it is not a thing to joke with, but a thing to take serious.
Thanks for reading “Sowing The Seed Of Truth”..