12/11/2025
I owe it to my community of Aweil South in Juba, led by Hon. Ariath Geng Ariath
By: Ateny Wek Ateny
Juba, November 12th, 2025
To my esteemed readership,
“Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective”. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
I am dedicating this quote to my beloved community and the honorable readership.
Before yesterday, Monday, November 10th, 2025, I was called by my community leadership in Juba to spare time to listen to them and I did. Although I had been receiving vicious coordinated vituperative statements, — from some of the younger men/women at the ages of my own children, I paused to reflect on their call.
One fastidious extemporaneous soldier had it all that, I must not be left alive. He gave me 5 years to live. Oh my small God. I must be obliterated, or relegated to nobody, some have concluded. Little do they know, citizenship by birth is never revoked. Kings and Queens were once challenged, but the citizen that commit the culpable offense by challenging the unchallenged privileged class, were confined after trail in a competent Court of law to spend time behind bars.
Seldom, if, ever did the citizen by birth is strip of his/her constitutional rights by anyone no matter how harsh their criticism to the most privileged is. Not even during the feudalism in medieval Europe. Nevertheless, I can understand how the beginning, impoverished and deprived of vitality societies struggles at their inception. The have and have not are not equals in humanity— at least in this mental impression of those who demean others. So, I am waiting to be told to leave Paliet Wek-Anyot as requested by someone from elsewhere.
Anyhow, I still gave my valuable time to my community. The community from where my 7th ancestors have lived, provided them with patriarchy spiritual leadership, before the arrival of conventional leadership. We met at Royal Palace Hotel from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm.
The present were; Hon. Ariath Geng Ariath who the Chairperson, Hon. Yournew Wol Kuot, Deputy Chair, Hon. Garang Majak Bol, Gen. Deng Akol Wek Ateny, my humble self, and Counsel Garang Geng Akot. The meeting was friendly and exceedingly brotherly.
It was a painstaking process that took nearly 5 hours to complete. The agenda was only one — to stop criticism of public officials while doing their duties. I accepted it, with reservations— given that, I can’t be asked to stop breathing air as my constitutional rights do not need permission from anyone to exercise. The guaranteed non critiquing is reserved to private individuals when they are cultivating their own agricultural produces and rare their cattle. There is time for everything and God of our ancestors is watching from above.
But for now, I have accepted to cease criticism of VP Benjamin Bol Mel Kuol. I do not need reconciliation — let me endorse the calls of those who have advised for no reconciliation. I don’t believe on reconciliation when the differences generated from public opinion. At least I am aware how governments works.
Finally, I forgave those young men/women from my state of NBGS, who have the audacity to veer off, constructive criticism and attempted to tarnish my image. My image is still with me. It is not define by money. My family has history full of sacrifices, and refutation that no one is capable to twist. So, I had no bad feelings towards anyone. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said and I quote “There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love”. NBGS today, symbolizes this quote.
To my readership, I am still with you in good and bad. I am not broken. I rest my case.
The views expressed in this article are solely that of author, and do not reflect the position of Paliet Community leadership. The author can be reached by; [email protected]
