"I'm what the world considers to be a phenomenally successful man. And I've failed much more than I've succeeded. And each time I fail, I get my people together, and I say, "Where are we going?" And it starts to get better." - Calvin Trager
Friday, December 22, 2006 War is too bad a phenomenon to be returned
This article in New Sudan Vision, was written by Nhial Tiitmamer de Nhial - a Sudanese based in Canada. It is a lament in the same order of what I spilled out a few days ago -- only particular to one who has seen his land torn apart by war for more than two decades.
It begins:
War is too bad a phenomenon to be returned Friday 22 December 2006
By Nhial Tiitmamer de Nhial
Dec 21, 2006 — Thomas Carlyle, a Scottish satirist and historian wrote, " Under the sky is no uglier spectacle than two men with clenched teeth, and hellfire eyes, hacking one an other's flesh, converting precious living bodies and precious living souls into nameless masses of putrescent, useful only for turnip manure."
How many times have many precious bodies and souls been converted into putrescent masses useful for manure? How many times have the birds of the air and the animals of the wild been feasting on the precious bodies of our loved ones? Enough is enough. War is too bad a phenomenon to be returned. Let us seek dialogues and seek no more wars to put an end to more woes. This piece is a lamentation of the souls. It is the voice of love drowned in the sea of hatred. At some points in time; my heart is loaded with optimism and at other times, I take a heavy dose of pessimism.
My optimism lies in our ability to put our embattled past behind us and accommodate each other's differences to give chance to peace. A chance to peace will not only save life but it will also be an impetus to development, eradication of poverty and diseases.
I get drowned in a heavy dose of pessimism when setbacks to peace in Sudan strike. The shocking events of the last few weeks in South Sudan are a painful slap in the face of peace. These events are a vivid indictment of our resolve to incorporate the values of peace into our blood stream. The Sudan People Liberation Army (SPLA) and the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) with its militia broke the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) resulting in the drowning of the city of Malakal in a heavy flood of blood.
Yes, war is too bad a phenomenon to be wished to return. It bears some of the deadly woes that have rocked our society since time immemorial. War does not only take innocent souls but it also corrupts the people's morals and their ability to think fairly and make sound judgement.It robs them of age old ethical values that distinguish mankind from animals.
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