Is Removal of Nuer Ethnic Cleansing?

The article by Chol Chigach is as wrong as the title that does not describe the events [http://www.southsudan.net/SSNET1/ethnic.html]. Ethnic cleansing is killing of a people by some power or emoving the people from traditional lands. The removal of Nuer from Anyuak areas around and close to Gambella town was peaceful and dignified. They came here on foot with cattle and guns. They were removed with their cattle and guns. No one was killed. Some groups were transported in vehicles. It was a dignified process. A description of Ethnic cleansing is not applicable in this case. Those who claimed to be Ethiopians reached their homes along the border. Those who were Sudanese crossed the border into Sudan. The move was well planned taking away one group at a time. The army and the police were involved to maintain security. After all the Nuer were fully armed. Without proper security arrangement they could fight. Even then they killed three Anyuak, one at Abol and two at Ilea. Yet not a single Nuer was killed by Anyuak or Ethiopian security forces. Are the Nuer not grateful?

Before the removal was effected, consultations with the Nuer communities at Matar and environs were made. Government officials of all ethnicities in Gambella went to Matar to hear opinion from those elders. The elders confirmed that there was no problem. They said the schools were waiting for children. There is peace in the area. The Murle were not a problem anymore. A Nuer guy wrote [April 13/2008] a comment to Anyuak Media confirming this consultation. The text is available in Anyuak Media archives.

That the Lou people were hostile to the Nuer roaming around Gambella is not real at this time. If at all anything, the community leaders are able to sought the matter out. After all these are Nuer like them. Why should Nuer be fighting each other all the time and taking each other’s cattle? There has been a very useless encounter in Unity State between Jikany Guit County and Rubkona County. This is a Nuer/Nuer war for land, which they say belongs to God all the time. Why do the Nuer fighting for God’s land? Or is it only the Anyuak land that must be shared? What happened? Does land belong to somebody again? It makes no sense.

The case of the Dam at Abwobo drying water downstream is not real too. The Anyuak of Pokedi, Perbango, Mena and others are downstream also. These people never moved to Gambella town because of no water. The Dam was built to retain enough water and to allow excess to overflow well enough to feed the communities and their cattle downstream. There is no legitimate case here to talk about.

The whole thing about the Nuer migration to Gambella area has been a planned strategy, which the Ethiopian Highland authorities did not understand first. The Anyuak tried hard to make the point until they were massacred in 2003. The Nuer roaming around were part of Thowath movement as a sleeping cell. They were also part of wider Nuer plan to take the Anyuak land to begin assimilation to build a Nuer empire. And when all had succeeded to wage war with the Ethiopian government to annex Gambella to Sudan. It was at this late stage that the Ethiopian government realized all this when a plot was uncovered that landed the Nuer officials into prison. The Anyuak land had spoken. If the plot was by the Anyuak another massacre would have taken place. But the whole thing vindicated the Anyuak even though too late in time.

That the governor of Gambella chased away the Nuer to please the Anyuak is a complete far cry. If any Anyuak governor had power at all the Nuer would have been removed a long time ago. The removal is by the Federal government. It is not a local work.

Whether the Nuer were forced to or asked voluntarily to be taken home, does not matter at this point. The Nuer issue is now over. The case must simply rest. The Nuer have gone home. It is their responsibility to create happiness there. The Nuer cannot hang on Anyuak backs forever. If they are planning to come back to fight they will meet the federal forces.

Another article is floating [http://www.southsudan.net/SSNET1/naath.html] out there about Akobo with the title of “Nuer Akobo: do not give in Anyuak threat”. This is not a direct challenge to the Anyuak. It is a radical Nuer trying to silence the voice of reason. There are some reasonable Nuer out there who want peace, like Koang Jing and Luke Dak. These people have tried their best to challenge the Nuer destructive ideologies. A lot of Nuer politicians have defamed the Nuer nation to a great extent. Koang and Luke want to repair the image. In doing so, we see articles such as the one quoted against them. The gentlemen are people who do not want to flow with the Nuer current simply to be a true Nuer. Everyone in the world encourages these people to go ahead with teaching the radicals that there is no space for unnecessary wars and more defamation of the Nuer for self-interest.

Indeed, the Akobo issue is something to worry about. It is an occupation and must be solved and Koang couldn’t be more right in saying so. The GoSS is working at the case, though slow as it is. Some day Akobo is going to be a happy place for its true people. The truth cannot be covered any longer, as the author of that article wanted it to be.

*Omot Chol Onguero a student in Ethiopia and can be reached at  omotchol@yahoo.co.in

Listen to the interview with Dr. Mamo on Anyuak land issues