Who is behind Jonglei attack?

Jonglei state has been grapping tribal clashes between Murle, Dinka Bor and Nuer before and after the Naivasha partners signed comprehensive peace agreement in 2005.

The souring relationship between Lou and Dinka Bor came to a head in 1991 when the SPLM/A split in Nasir and Torit factions. The Nasir faction mobilized and armed Lou Nuer civilians and incited them against the defenseless civilians of Bor using tribal hate sentiments. The Bor were defendless given that youths there were committed in SPLA army. A self-proclaimed prophet called Urnyang also played a role in encouraging the Nuer in general and Lou in particular to massacre their innocent and good neighbors.

He (Urnyang) falsely prophesied that those who would die in the war would resurrect in the centre of their “luak” just a month after their death. This falsehood led the Lou to blindly fight without realizing that they too were destroying themselves. They were also heard citing messages purported to be from Ngundeng as a driving motive to wage war on Bor.

In the last two months Lou Nuers attacked three different payams in Twic East County of Jonglei, a county that does not even share any border with Uror from where the attackers come. About 43 people, including two attackers perished in the last Wernyol attack. In the first one incident, seven people died in Twic East – A Dinka Bor County. In the Baping incident six people were killed. Why should our people die in large numbers likes dogs every hour?

The recent attack of Nuer Lou on Duk County has caused political and socio-economic instability in south Sudan and Jonglei state in particular.

The militias who organized themselves under their leader named Ci-betek Mabil came and attacked administrative centers in Duk, where they killed 76 people and more than 46 people are badly maimed. This may increase the death toll beyond what I may suggest. This attack is very unique the militia group only focuses on towns and other administrative centers with the aim of controlling them unlike the last attack in the same community by Nuer when they came and assault the area only confiscate cattle. If there is no person behind these atrocities, could Nuer do it at this time when we are terribly seeking for peace in our country?

Another reason why I say that these militias are sponsored by somebody is that they always come with heavy machine guns, RPG rockets, and fire arms which are not easy to get. Their leaders (I means chiefs, MPs and others) seem to be too concern in the broadest light in convincing them which has got no ground to be proved right as a good observer could see these events happening every time. These leaders are fond of reporting falsely that those are always militias – militias in large group from one ethnic community generated even from those same bases.

To my own point of view, the militias’ activities in the state are aimless and were only designed to reduce the Dinka Bor’s population. This is because in the state government, all people are represented equally. For instant, in the Jonglei state’s government, Nuer took, the position of deputy governor as a key position. Until the position of governor turns to their side in the next round, I don’t think there doubt here. Moreover, they also head some ministries like ministry of parliamentary affairs ,ministry of social and development, ministry of information and communication.

In the Government of South Sudan, where I think the incorrigible leader of this militias could be hiding , the vice president to the GOSS ,minister for Energy and Mining and may other posts are being headed by Nuer sons. If they are not contended with what the governments have offered them, they have a right to ask for it peacefully.

So, who is backing this aimless group? Which government does Nuer when to get full representation apart from the Government of Southern Sudan?

The writer is a resident of Bor Town. johnalier@yahoo.com