When military leaders lack proper training and accountability, their words can become dangerous
General Johnson Oluny and his troops on the verge of committing geneocide
weapons. Instead of protecting civilians, they may resort to genocidal and hateful language that targets entire communities. This is precisely what Johnson Olony Thabo directed against the Nuer community.
Such rhetoric is never accidental. History shows that genocides and crimes against humanity are often preceded by public speech that dehumanises a group and portrays it as an enemy, vermin, or an obstacle to be removed. This language lowers moral barriers and normalises mass violence.
Johnson Olony Thabo and some of his colleagues within the South Sudanese army demonstrate a failure to see civilians as people with rights. Instead, they frame entire communities as legitimate targets. This mindset is extremely dangerous.
Genocide begins with words long before it begins with weapons. For that reason, Johnson Olony Thabo’s remarks cannot and should not be ignored by the Nuer community—both inside South Sudan and in the diaspora. Vigilance is required now, before it becomes too late.
His statements about the killing of innocent Nuer children, women, the elderly, and “anything that moves” echo the language used by leaders who later committed genocide and crimes against humanity. History offers clear examples, including Adolf Hitler, Radovan Karadžić, Slobodan Milošević, and Omar al-Bashir.
The Nuer people have already experienced the consequences of such rhetoric. In December 2013, thousands of Nuer civilians were killed in Juba after President Salva Kiir Mayardit used hateful and inflammatory language. The regime responsible for those atrocities remains in power today, and Johnson Olony Thabo now serves within that same system.
For this reason, his recent apology should not be taken at face value. Apologies do not erase intent, nor do they dismantle structures that have repeatedly enabled violence against civilians.
The Nuer community must not be misled or neutralised by words alone. Caution, vigilance, and awareness are essential at all times, wherever Nuer civilians reside in South Sudan.
This article was prepared by Gatwech Deng Wal, a Gambella Vision Contributor Based in Melbourne Australia.
