Nearly two weeks ago, disturbing video footage of so-called anti-government protesters of South Sudanese descent allegedly in the United States emerged on social media. For reasons best known to them, this group of unruly individuals could be seen stamping on the national flag, not the American flag but the South Sudan national flag.

The incident was not a separate one. The abuse of the national flag has become a norm among South Sudanese citizens both at home and abroad. The flag of South Sudan is more than just a piece of cloth, it symbolizes the national identity, reflects idiosyncratic historical developments and it is in that rectangle-shaped piece of cloth that the identity of the citizens is embedded, and above all, the flag also depicts a country’s status of sovereignty. The values are infinite.

Defying all the above, and realizing that the flag is different from whoever they oppose, political leftists have embraced extremism and radicalism. Under unusual circumstances, they either stamped on or burned the national flag.

The desecration of the national flag is unpatriotic, treasonous, and has no justification whatsoever. It is only in an abnormal society where political rage or dissatisfaction drives citizens to disrespect the flag.

Think about it, in 2017, the people of Egypt hoisted the South Sudan national flag upside down during the official visit of President Slava Kiir and sent a shock wave among South Sudanese in different parts of the world. It was not accidental that those people, among them government adversaries, were angry. No sane and patriotic citizen would sit back and watch his flag get desecrated.

In other countries, there are ordinances that criminalize the desecration of the national flag. In Algeria, “the intentional and public shredding, distortion, or desecration of the national flag is punishable by 5 to 10 years of imprisonment” as stipulated in article 160 of the Algerian Penal Code.

No one dares to burn the flag of Switzerland because “destruction, removal, or desecration of national emblems installed by a public authority is punishable by a monetary penalty or imprisonment of up to three years according to the Swiss Federal Penal Code.

It could be the right time for the government of South Sudan to gazette legislation which outlaws the desecration of national emblems like the flag and the national court of arms and hold perpetrators accountable. It is time political leftists stop disrespecting the national flag. Leadership may change, but the flag as a symbol of national identity stays forever.