South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Aluong Maker Aluong
A concerned citizen from Lakes State, Mr. Machueng Awur Machueng, has expressed his gratitude to Governor Gen. Rin Tueny Deng for championing self-correction and resilience, which he believes have led to unwavering security and stability in the state.
In an interview with The Dawn Newspaper on Thursday, he noted that security in Lakes State was dire in 2020, with indiscriminate killings affecting children, women, and visitors alike.
However, he stated that currently, citizens are no longer restricted; everyone can work for themselves in terms of food production, actively utilising the fertile land to grow local food.
Awur added that before the arrival of Governor Rin Tueny, their cattle, goats, and other livestock could not access pasture lands without accompaniment.
He said wow, they have been salvaged from this grave situation.
“Yes, of course, I know death is a natural occurrence, as it can happen in many forms—some may die from diseases, others may drown, and some may die in accidents. When you consider these, it is treated as normal,” Awur.
“However, deaths before 2020 were deliberate. Lakes State residents could lose between thirty to fifty people in a single day. Passengers unaware of the situation in Lakes also fell victim to the violence. In fact, mere words cannot describe that situation.”
He added that “Borrowing to kill an innocent person as revenge for your brother who might have been killed by someone else was the order of the day. But that is no longer the case. Governor Rin has created a safe and predictable atmosphere.”
“To be bold, social stability and individual well-being in various settings—from homes and workplaces to public spaces—are now paramount.”
He emphasized that killing an innocent person in the name of revenge is a “misplacement of anger” because the victim is completely innocent.
He stated that the situation had escalated to the point where husbands and wives could not feel safe in their homes at night, preventing them from living as couples and producing children.
He explained that they could only meet during the day, leading to a sharp decline in birth rates. However, during the four years that Governor Rin has been in office, the birth rate has drastically increased.
He underscored that the children born during Governor Rin’s tenure are now healthy, in contrast to those before 2020, who were traumatized and unhealthy.
He said the situation at that time was entirely “sombre and dark” due to the high mortality rate.
“Citizens were forced to live in confinement; no one could freely visit relatives in other villages, but Governor Rin has broken that chain,” he said.
“My beautiful people from Lakes State have restored what it means to live a good life, visiting each other and honouring guests as is customary.”
“We are living in a state where we no longer fear those holding guns. Previously, we felt ‘butterflies crawling in our bellies’ at the sight of someone armed,” Awur highlighted.
He reiterated that the entire Lakes State has embraced peace, engaging in all necessary activities typical of a tranquil state, with farmers growing crops from all corners and cattlemen herding their livestock to pasture.
He added that Lakes State is currently on an equal footing with other states regarding education, which had significantly declined.
“Both teachers and students were carrying guns to school, as no one felt safe. Everyone was resorting to arms for self-defence,” Awur stated.
On the other hand, Awur mentioned that the only area that has not met expectations in Lakes is health care.
He candidly acknowledged that health facilities are inadequate and require fully trained experts to serve the community.
This is beyond the governor’s capacity, as attracting qualified personnel has proven difficult, he said.
Awur concluded by stating that Governor Rin is dedicated to protecting people’s lives and assets from harm, crime, and loss, deterring unauthorised access, ensuring business continuity and compliance, building trust and reputation, and ultimately creating a positive environment.
