Mr. Salva Kiir: The Time To Move On Is Now! By Luk Kuth Dak

The late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once pointed out that “Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power in its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at it best is power correcting everything that stands against love.”
A few weeks ago, am American rocker, Ted Nugent called the most powerful man in the world, President Barack Obama “a subhuman mongrel,” among other insults that I can’t repeat here. But if you do not already know the meaning of the term as I was, I ask you to check your dictionary for answers.
Today, Mr. Nugent not only is he still a free man, but he has then become the darling of the so-called conservative news media, such as Fox, for speaking up his mind. From one TV channel to another, he continues to throw his racially motivated insults not only at the President, but the entire black race. Yet despite the bigoted nature of the insults, President Obama did not order the black people of America to retaliate against the white people. When asked by a reporter about his take on the derogatory remarks, he was quick to say that “I respect Mr. Nugent’s constitutional rights of the freedom of speech.”
Case closed!
In the republic of South Sudan, however, just pointing a finger at the tyrant, Mr. Salve Kiir Mayardit, the disgraced President of the republic and Chairman of the ruling party, the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement ( SPLM) will not only land you behind bars, but it could very well cost you the most precious possession... your life. It is in this young nation that disagreeing with the President is considered treason. And, as I write this column, four of the most loyalists SPLM members are facing the ultimate punishment for simply expressing their frustration on the way in which the country is run.
Truth be known, I was a strong and longtime supporter of SPLM. I have very many articles to prove it. Mr. Kiir broke me of that, much in the same way his pal, Sudan’s tyrant Mr. Omer Hassan Ahmed al-Basher broke me of Islam.
As predicted in this space a few weeks ago, Mr. Kiir continues to turn the nation into a morgue, while establishing a fascist form of government. The perpetual pain that he created will be remembered as the most trying time any people could ever endure. Today, virtually the nation is divided on tribal lines. For instance, if you are not from the ruling tribe, you need to run for your dear life as fast as you can to the nearest U.N. compound and stay there as long as they allow you to stay. The sad truth is: there is simply no hope that the regime will change its focus and start reaching out to others.
As journalists, we catch fire so frequently for what we voice, but never did I ever thought I would be accused of tribalism for criticizing the regime of tyrant, Salva Kiir. Some Dinka intellects believe that attacking Kiir’s performance is an attack on the Dinka as a whole. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our disagreement with Kiir is based solely on principles… not personal. If he were a Nuer, I will do the exact same thing.
In any nation, the fundamental goal of the government is to unite and protect its citizens, make their livelihood better, and pull them out of poverty. This regime has done the exact opposite. But if the leader of our nation must be a Dinka, I personally believe that the Dinka nation is not in short supply of a gentler, educated, and a warm-hearted leader, who can change our destiny, put the country first, and place the people at the core
U.S Senator John McCain (R- Arizona) once said: “When I look at the eyes of Mr. Putin (the Russian tyrant) I see KGB.” Subsequently, as I closely monitor the events unfolding in the republic of South Sudan, when I look at the eyes of the strongman, Mr. Salva Kiir, I see blood.
I hope with all my heart that there will come a time when we could all come to terms with the notion that it’s quite alright to agree to disagree, but without being disagreeable.
Luk Kuth Dak is a former broadcasting journalist and a reporter for Radio Juba. He can be reached at [email protected], or on Twitter @luk Dak.

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