Happy 9th Independence Day, South Sudan! As we celebrate, let us reflect and resolve to do better. As we celebrate, let us honor our sacrifice-laden past, and seize our opportunity-filled present to secure our prosperity-promised future.

This young boy pictured celebrating our first independence day is now nearly a man. 9 years later, are his expectations fulfilled?

Sons and daughters of South Sudan, for the sake of our children, NO MORE BETRAYALS!

For now, I leave you with an offering of a poem for reflection:

No More Betrayals

Those streets lining
Remembrances of timeless sweetness, are
Now lined with our commingled corpses.

Those trees holding
Etches of timeless commitments,
Now no more than ash.

Laughter shared by the pure-hearted
Budding-buddies of lifetimes past and present
Now muted forever by the drums of war.

Brotherhood fused in fields of play,
Nurtured in shared pasture lands,
Now torn asunder by the supremacy of creed (greed).

Marriages consecrated in exchanges of sacred cattle,
Cemented through precious gifts of daughters,
Seeding nations united by blood;

Betrayed?!

Remember the laughter,
Once inspired by innocence,
Now spoiled by greed (creed).

Remember “Friends Forever,”
Once etched in hearts,
Now blinded by hate.

Remember sacred life unions,
Once perpetuated in blood,
Now shed by revenge.

No More Betrayals.
No More Betrayals.
No More Betrayals.

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* ‘No More Betrayals’ is the title poem from my collection of poetry, No More Betrayals. For more information on the book, visit: https://apukmayen.com/books/no-more-betrayals/

**Photo Credit: Giovanni Turco / Freedom House DC