Today May 23, 2012, Gambellans mourn for the fifteen alleged Anyuaks insurgents, waiting to be handed over to Ethiopian government by the newly independent Republic of South Sudan (ROSS). The fifteen Anyuak refugees were caught at the Ethiopian border where many refugees fleeing Gambella/Ethiopia for insecurity threat posted upon them by the Ethiopian TPLF government for resisting the ongoing indigenous land grabbing and forced villagization programs in the area. In May 22, 2012 we couldn’t believe our ears to hear that the fifteen alleged Anyuaks insurgents are being herd to board the Ethiopian air force flight to take them to Addis Ababa to face death penalty or if lucky enough to face life sentences under the brutal the TPLF Ethiopian government.

No matter what, but what stunts most of us is the attitude of the South Sudan government officials act against the Anyuaks in Gambella who are now facing human miseries in their land in Ethiopia. Without taking long stride should the newly independent Republic of South Sudan (ROSS) forget the favor and contributions made by the Gambellans to its movement that brought about the present independent of the South Sudan? Today when the Gamellans mourn for these fifteen alleged Anyuaks insurgents who are waiting to be handed over to Ethiopian government by the ROSS, Gambella should also mourn for the death of Dr. John Garang who passed away with positive memory about the contributions made by the Anyuaks into the South Sudan independent movement.

Perhaps Dr. John Garang should be remembered by the Anyuaks on mainly three things including:

1. He acknowledges the hospitality and contributions made into the South Sudan Independent.
   Prior to UN or international community humanitarian responses which was not immediate at the time, to the influx of Sudanese refugees in Gambella, the Anyuaks considered Sudanese refugees as their own blood and absorbed them into their homes and villages and fed them with what their hands could provide. They nurtured those who could barely walk and fainted until they were restored. These included children, women, and men who walked from great distances without food, water, and any medical assistance. Specially, as many Dankas were murdered in massive on the way to Gambella by the neighboring rival tribes, the Anyuak land provided peace and shelter for them. Generally, the Anyuak land was the safe haven including the initial military trainings provided by those few enlighten Anyuak commanders in the Ethiopian government in Gambella. Today the depletion of the natural resources in Gambella including the disappearing of epos, elephants, baffallos, many giant animals in the land, fish, trees, etc, testifies the brotherhood contributions made into struggle for the freedom of Southerners. Moreover, the Anyuaks provided their members into the SPLM/A to fight the enemy. Dr. John Garang in his most speeches before his death acknowledges the contributions made by the Gambella and the Anyuaks in making the movement viable.
   
2. Dr. John Garang avenge against the architect SPLA soldiers who wrong caused the Anyuaks massacre of September 1990.
   The Ethiopian government discriminatory attitude in carrying out ambitious plans in the area is to occupy the indigenous land in Gambella with the Ethiopian highlanders from the north using coercive actions as means to acquire those plans. It happened when the two Nuers namely Thwat Pal and Joshua Dilwal were promoted to the highest ranks in the Gambella political leadership which was deliberate Ethiopian government action to instigate and manipulate the Nuer-Anyuaks conflicts to divide and rule in exchange of highlanders domination in the region. In fact in many occasions the Nuers’ led regional leadership frequently planned the Anyuaks massacres by enticing the SPLM/A for the actions, with the blessing of the Ethiopian central government. In September 12, 1990 Pinyudo massacre was carried out along this plan and killed about 300 Anuaks including children, women, and men. The killing was brutal in which some families were packed in tukuls (houses) and burned them alive to death. They were buried by bulldozer near the Pinudo town on the way to Deepa village with great anguish; the next day in September 13, 1990 the same massacre was carried in Itang and killed more than sixty Anyuaks including children, women, and men; again in September 15, 1990 massacre at Akado (Pokwo American Mission Station) also was carried out killing more than thirty people. The massacres were highly coordinated against the Anyuaks and the Ethiopian government didn’t make any effort to rescue the Anyuaks as its own citizens but condoned the massacres that were planned to wipe the tribe from the land.
   
   However, His Excellency Dr. John Garaang was not aware of the conspiracy plans carried in all those massacres since he was away from the country. Later his respond against the architects SPLA soldiers of these massacres in favor of the Anyuaks was quite genuine. He was moved with anger against the killings and ordered the elimination of 60 architects’ soldiers in day light in front of the Anyuaks in Itang town to quench the anger, although recurrent Anyuak killings still continued in some parts of the land by the SPLA soldiers. Those years are remembered by the Anuaks with sorrow and distress and Dr. John Garaang responses served as bridges to quell the resentment.
   
3. During the December 13-15, 2003 Anyuaks massacre by the Ethiopian Soldiers Dr. John Garaang provided protection for the Anyuaks who fled to Sudan for their safety.
   The December 13, 2003 Anyuaks massacre marks the climax of the Ethiopian racism and colonization against the dark skin Nilotes in the country. The government soldiers disguising themselves with the civilian highlanders marched out with pangas and machetes and brutally massacred more than 1600 people Anyuaks of which the official number still conservatively confirms only 442. This massacre was an attempt to eliminate the Nilotic Anyuaks from their land. It is a grand racism and color discrimination against all Nilotic people alike in the country which is similar to what the South Sudanese have fought for against the Arabs of the North. Being aware of all these discrimination and atrocities Dr. John Garaang shared their plight by giving them amenities and protection in the liberated areas.

Should we lament the death of Dr. John Garaang in mourning for our fifteen alleged insurgents Anyuaks of whom the Republic of South Sudan (ROSS) intend to expel to Ethiopian government to face brutal consequences? Has the present South Sudan forgotten the legacy brought about by Dr. John Garaang to the present government of which the Anyuaks are part of the history? Could South Sudan be blindfolded to what the Gambella and the Anyuaks have contributed to the freedom of the country? Is it fair in the eye of God for the ROSS to betray its own people into the hand of Ethiopians who denied their existence as humans against their race and color? Is the South Sudan government aware of the Ethiopian cunning, deceptive and oppressive attitudes by welcoming many Ethiopian highlanders to live freely in the country more than the oppressed Ethiopian Nilotes? Is ROSS aware of snare the Ethiopian government will bring into its system that will destabilize the unity and solidarity of the Southerners for its own advantage as it does to its people at home back in Gambella and elsewhere in Ethiopia? The Ethiopian snare sheds doubt to one own beings and can entices southerners not to believe in themselves.

I think it would be wise to rethink for the ROSS to reflect to some of its attitudes towards the others. Fear for God need to be instituted in the governing, in every times of comfort, not to act as if yesterday we were not sharing with those who are now suffering like Anyuaks. God Sees! No single scribe or ordinary person in South Sudan who can reach out with vision of Dr. John Garang to liberate or support other Nilotes who are currently suffering discrimination like the Anyuaks suffering the land grab and forced villagization in Ethiopia? They are many of these groups who are still dehumanized and marginalized in Ethiopia. ROSS should carefully watch any cozy Ethiopians hospitality and friendship in the relationships they are making, not to regret the present infiltration with great damage they may bring into the country beyond any help.

Being more aware with the repressive attitude of the TPLF government therefore, any of indigenous resistances against the current land grabs and forced villagization in Ethiopia, should be seen as legitimate, and it should not be equated with extremism or terrorism of the day at any case, to the extent that the alleged insurgent Anyuaks should be boldly packed into flight to take them to corrupt country like Ethiopia where they can face death or life sentences. The favor and the blood that the Gambella and the Anyuaks contributed into ROSS should be remembered and not forgotten in respect to our prominent leader Dr. John Garaang who brought us this way long to the freedom. Perhaps the Anyuaks in mourning for their 15 alleged insurgents, whose fate is not yet known, should also equally mourn for the death of Dr. John Garaang in more special homage in his memorial centre in Juba with flowers representing all the entire Anyuak community in all over the world. The homage express in flowers should relieve the pain in our heart with message that reads “Your death is so much to us and in your absence our fellow Anyuaks are ill treated in the soil of South Sudan.” This means a lot to us because God sees! Amen!