The Power Struggle in the Two States, Gambella, Ethiopia and Upper Nile State, Sudan

In the wake of the comprehensive peace agreement, the communities that dwell along the border states or regions, especially Gambella and Upper Nile States, have very much felt overwhelmed as peace has flourished, bringing peaceful co-existence, love and stability to the people that live in the two areas.  Although with little glimpses, peace itself is the sign of the emerging hope most have lost for couple decades if followed the trends since the Anya-Nya I.  Now that a dual partnership allowing possible mutual understanding between the SPLM and the NCP has come to existence in which most devastated areas including the marginalized region would pick on the development they have lost over the past few years.  Even if two of these regions are thoroughly different politically, the inhabitants dwelling in these areas are living inseparably because of everything they share in common.  To an extent, they are the same people divided by geographical location otherwise none could ever differentiate between who is from Sudan or Ethiopia among them.  But, there has been an emerging geo-political confusion to which the long awaited stability will be lacked due to several misconducts, and lack of understanding the policy to guide the border region.  This confusion although taking part slowly has been injected by one group interested in creating destruction in this region if the two of these administrations are aware of what will happen. 

The Power Struggle in the Two States, Region 12 and Upper Nile State

Gambellan lives in fear everyday

The political status of the two regional administrations has been in the hand of a single clan, which did not better the interest of the other group.  Questions have been posted as to why one of these regions had been ruled by single clan for many years while the inhabitants are drawn from different ethnic backgrounds.  The group undermining the outcome of the stable administration both in Gambella Ethiopia and Upper Nile State Sudan has considered what is possibly termed the domination than to actually see it with wider margin.  This invisible move alone creates conflict of interest, has this group begins mobilizing its members to bring down the current administration in Gambella Ethiopia.  One would wonder why there was civilian massacre in the month of November 2008.  The reason was very simple and clear that the opposition group from both clans opposing Mr. Goanar Yar, the deputy Governor of Gambella is the one responsible to blame since their political move is to create instability in this region.  Had it not been the single group’s interest, today there wouldn’t be any such things that alter the political discourse of Gambella region.

Moreover, the group is still at work worldwide without acknowledging what will be their political mobilization that ought to destabilize the nearer areas.  But why are the closest people in the border region silence while this multi-facet political confusion is being persuaded against their emerging development? Well, it is very dynamic as the masterminded individuals have already calculated their math using different formulas, if not known to the opponent, will be up to them.  The combined groups although outwitting each other by blindfolding one another is channeled to triggering the fight between the Governor’s sub-clan and the prominent politician used by wise individuals to bring instability to his family which later resulted in him claiming that his family had been massacred.  Why not seeing the visible trick? Either ways, Mr. Luk Kuey Yiech is blinded by the fact that he is to become the next governor of Gambella or Mr. Governor himself is bribed by certain group other than the visible group in the fight against the current administration to bring down the regional government.  The bottom line is that, the group subject to bribing the Governor is most likely in the Diaspora who is vehemently persuading the local administration to move people because of land grabbing.  Instead of peaceful process, the local administration has used excessive force to move the people while the civilians have made it clear to the government officials to wait until the dry season come. If it is not true why killing the innocent rather to wait until dry season arrives?

If some boastful individuals think this is true, yes! People like Cieng-Bie of Ciengwuaw are daily complaining of land grabbing which is acceptable claim because it is their land.  Other than that is the insecurity in this area between the two sub-clans if one knows the problem between the two brothers, Cienyajani and Ciengwuaw over a decade ago.  They are brothers by blood, but conflict does not know who is blood relatives and so both fought unstopped, and both have lost more than a thousand people in between. But does this seem relevant to forcefully move the innocent people facing indiscriminate attack from the Lou Nuer and Murle tribe?

No! The people behind this move are not Cieng-bie of Cieng-wuaw.  In everyone’s intellectual viewpoint, each of this group would know that there is cripple move taking part from the counterpart, the combined group from Gaatjaak and Gaajiok section who untimely desire the leadership of Gambella which has been in the hand of single sub-clan for years.  Their attempt produced confusion within Gaajaak by dividing them into different sub-groups so that they can win the next governorship post in Gambella.  However, the tactic used by this group has been very devastating in which it will pose a series threat to geo-political discourse between Gambellians and Upper Nilers who have been living peacefully.  If the level of insecurity would hike from bad to worse, who would be blamed for that? The neutral group itself!  In my own interest, I have no hatred for the two clans, but the group that is working day and night calculating an ill-fated formula for self-interest is the one the spirit of the dead would see.  Back to the point, several of the reasons this group is creating an upheaval in the border politics are as follow:

Firstly, the wake of Lt. Gen. Gatluak Deng Garang as a governor of Upper Nile has intensively become the reinforcement to such group united under no umbrella.  They think that if they rule both regions, they will control the border politics which was once posed by Mr. Gathoth Maiy and Sharles Lam resulted in the verbal dispute in Pagak area not long ago.

Secondly, as they have been living with fear from Lou Nuer, it is one possible reason, which they think will be the end of Lou Nuer raiders to stop raiding their villages because they can station federal police force in the border between Lou and them.  This police force would include both police department from the two regional administrations which is fine because stability in this area is in the interest of every citizens of Gambella and Upper Nile

Finally, they will manipulate the local inhabitants to unite against Lou Nuer in every threat from the Lou Nuer clans to repulse back their trespassers from attacking innocent people, something not to be downplayed since it has varying degrees. 

The overall view of these things, lie in generating the confusion in the border politics if least, but not most, knows what is going to happen.  It will start as a problem to Gaat-jaak themselves, which is currently is, but in the end it will be between the culprits and Gambellians, and between Nuer of Sudan & Ethiopia if this people living along the border are not taking wise steps to immediately tackle the irrational political move from their respective regional governments. 

Also, if this combined group playing a neutral game thinks their political move is a good strategy for future geo-political success is dull however, that they miscalculated their formula in the wrong perception.  What matter the most is that Ciegn-Cany, Ciegn-Wuow, and Cienyajani are from the sub-clan originated from the same ancestor united by one name called Gaguong, which in the long run will resurface to reuniting themselves again.  Anyone seeing the division now, let him/herself be blinded by the short-lived problem today, but tomorrow you will see the same people uniting under one umbrella to fight against the others posing threat on them.

In this political arena, is it still a possible venue to accept miscalculated formula or it would rather work if the perspective of the venue giving birth to an upheaval is changed due the act of evil created by the current administration? Or in what way would it be possible to consider altering the unacceptable killing of the innocent people?  A mathematician may use different formula for a possible answer, but if he/she uses different formulas far from the correct answer would end up getting zero, which wouldn’t bring pleasure but sadness to an individual for missing the answer. 

Are the true Gambellians people aware of the crippled move undertaken by this group under the auspice of the federal government of Ethiopia led by Meles Zenawi?

There are lots of deadly perspectives, depending on what is needed, and what need to be done by the government in power.  Most, but not least, thought Gambella is being supported by this regime.  This is beyond the imagination or expectation of the people that know the truth of what that is.  In it enormous form, Meles’s tactics of destabilizing Gambella region is not to be confused with cheap politics.  The richness of the land itself is a tool used to curve the growing interest and a need for political development, which would booth up the interest of Gambellians in oil industry.  This issue itself is seen by Meles Zenawi’s regime as a threat to future development in oil sector.  What happened is that, the group under invisible umbrella affiliated themselves with the current regime by playing their political confusion in different interest are unsatisfactorily advancing their interest.  Their interest is not the government’s interest, but power and oil collided to form a single interest because one is using the other.  Should this be let-go by the true sons and daughters of Gambella or it is something they can handle in less than no further move? Speak up Gambellians as time goes by before any other catastrophe!

Everything is relatively a calculated math since the Anyuak genocide in 2003 to the time when the term occupants of Anyuak land was used to move the people, which indicate that it was a planned displacement.  Omot Olom, Goanar Yar, Deng Chol, and Meles Zenawi know what it is if investigation is considered. Now, there is no doubt that the same policy is still the one that caused the deadly confusion, which had worse scenario on the ground a month ago.  But why did it happen in that place other than other areas that are sharing the same border with this area? Anyone interested to find out, your fate!

In conclusion, I think most of this people have seen what is happening, but do not want to talk about because they are caught in dilemma.  But one thing important is the instability created to spoil the border politics by certain group far from the borderline (an alien).  It is up to the current administration to take action before is too late to crack down this group who deserve torture and interrogation before they brainwashed thousand of good minds between the border people who have been living without problem for years.  Instead of this group to come up with someone other than Luk Kuey, their hidden agenda, which we do not know, it is time for Thiang Ciegntar to rise up for change to vote for Mulgeta Rut or Khor Biliw Nyagor (somebody who would look far beyond different angles) to be the next governor instead of the deputy position.  Be ware of the border politics Gaat-jaak and make sure there are people working day and night to create geo-political confusion, which would some how result in ruining the development in Gaat-Jaak and their cousins Gaajiok areas in the long run.

The Author of this article retrieved first hand information from the government officials in Gambella.  He was a citizen of Gambella, but right now he lives in California, USA. He can be reached at