Impi Yenuzi—Ingabe Isewusongo?
Ngumlobeli we-Phaphama! eJapane
“Wonke umuntu ocabangayo uyayesaba impi yenuzi, kodwa wonke amazwe athuthukile kwezobuchwepheshe azilungiselela yona. Wonke umuntu uyazi ukuthi iwubuhlanya, kodwa zonke izizwe zinezaba.”—UCarl Sagan, isazi sezinkanyezi.
NGOMHLA KA-6 KU-AUGUST 1945, indiza yempi yaseMelika yajikijela ibhomu le-athomu eHiroshima, eJapane, elabulala uquqaba lwabantu ngokuphazima kweso lacekela phansi nempahla eningi. Kwakuqala ukuba kusetshenziswe ibhomu le-athomu empini. Ukuqhuma kwalo kwacekela phansi indawo engamakhilomitha-skwele angu-13 edolobheni elalinabantu abangu-343 000. Izakhiwo zedolobha ezingaphezu kwezingxenye ezimbili kwezintathu zacekeleka phansi, kwafa okungenani abantu abangu-70 000 kwalimala abangu-69 000. Ezinsukwini ezintathu kamuva kwajikijelwa ibhomu lesibili le-athomu, kulokhu eNagasaki; kwafa abantu abangu-39 000 kwalimala abangu-25 000. Ingxenye yezakhiwo zaleli dolobha yabhidlika noma yalimala. Isikhali esinamandla kangaka sasingakaze sisetshenziswe emlandweni wesintu. Izinto zase zigaya ngomunye umhlathi. Izwe lase lingene enkathini yenuzi. Ngeminyaka embalwa nje, i-United States, izwe elaliyiSoviet Union, iGreat Britain, iFrance neChina akha ibhomu le-hydrogen elibhubhisa nakakhulu.
IMpi Yomshoshaphansi—umbango phakathi kwamazwe obuKhomanisi nangebona ubuKhomanisi—yagqugquzela ukwakhiwa kwezikhali ezinkulu zenuzi nezindlela zokuziciba. Ukwesaba kwakhungatha izwe njengoba kwakhiwa izikhali zenuzi ezicitshwayo ezinqamula amazwe ezingagadla ezindaweni ezihlosiwe emazweni aqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-5 600 ngemizuzu nje hhayi ngamahora. Imikhumbi-ngwenya yahlonyiswa ngezikhali zenuzi ezicitshwayo ezanele ukuba ziqhumise izindawo ezihlosiwe ezingu-192. Kunesikhathi lapho kwakulinganiselwa ukuthi kwakunezikhali zenuzi ezingaba ngu-50 000 ezinqolobaneni! Ngesikhathi seMpi Yomshoshaphansi, isintu sasisonqenqemeni lwalokho abanye abantu ababekubiza ngokuthi i-Armagedoni yenuzi—impi okungekho manqoba kuyo.
Ukuphela KweMpi Yomshoshaphansi
Ngawo-1970, isimo esishubile esasibangelwa iMpi Yomshoshaphansi sathi ukudamba “njengoba kwabonakala esivumelwanweni se-SALT I ne-SALT II [Izingxoxo Zokubonisana Ngokulinganisela Izikhali Ezicushelwe Izingqalasizinda],” kuchaza i-Encyclopædia Britannica, “lapho imibuso emibili emikhulu yabekelana isilinganiso sesibalo sezikhali ezihloselwe ukuthena amandla izikhali ezicitshwayo nesilinganiso sezikhali zenuzi ezicushelwe izingqalasizinda.” Khona manjalo, iMpi Yomshoshaphansi yathi gozololo ngasekupheleni kwawo-1980 futhi yagcina isiphelile.
“Ukuphela kweMpi Yomshoshaphansi kwavusa amathemba okuthi umncintiswano omude wezikhali zenuzi nokushuba kwesimo phakathi kwe-United States neRussia kwase kuzophela,” kusho umbiko we-Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Njengomphumela wemizamo yokuqeda izikhali zenuzi, kuhlakazwé amakhulu ezikhali zenuzi eminyakeni yamuva. Ngo-1991, izwe laseSoviet Union nelase-United States asayinda i-Treaty on Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms [ISivumelwano Sokunciphisa Nokulinganisela Izikhali Zokuhlasela Izindawo Eziyizingqalasizinda], ngokokuqala ngqa emlandweni, eyabopha la mazwe amabili ayizikhondlakhondla zezikhali zenuzi ukuba angagcini nje ngokulinganisela isibalo sezikhali, kodwa nokuba anciphise izikhali zawo ezihlala zicushelwe ukuba zihlasele izindawo eziyingqalasizinda zibe ngu-6 000 ezweni ngalinye. Ekupheleni kuka-2001, womabili la mazwe amemezela ukuthi ayesenze ngokuvumelana nalesi sivumelwano ngokuzinciphisa lezi zikhali njengoba kwakuvunyelwene. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kwavunyelwana futhi ngo-2002 ngeSivumelwano SaseMoscow, esaphinda sawabopha ukuba azinciphise futhi zibe phakathi kuka-1 700 no-2 200 kule minyaka eyishumi ezayo.
Nokho, naphezu kwaleyo ntuthuko, uNobhala-Jikelele we-UN uKofi Annan uthi “lesi akusona isikhathi sokuzithela ngabandayo ngokuphathelene nosongo lwempi yenuzi.” Wanezela: “Impi yenuzi iseyinto engenzeka ngempela, futhi ethusayo ekuqaleni kwaleli khulu leminyaka lama-21.” Ngokudabukisayo, inhlekelele yenuzi—embi nangaphezu kwalokho okwenzeka eHiroshima naseNagasaki—isewusongo osukwini lwethu. Ubani osongelayo? Okubaluleke nakakhulu, ingabe ingagwenywa?