Anyuak Community from Akobo County and Pochalla County, Jonglei State discussed its strategies for the New Year 2007.

Monday, January 01, 2007 (Juba) - The community elders from Anyuak, youths, men and women gathered at Nile Resort Hotel in Juba on January 1, 2007, performing traditional dances and singing with joy to commemorate the New Year and set forth the strategies to face challenges for 2007.

Key figures representing the Anyuak as community in the government of South Sudan (GOSS), state and the county were part of the carnival.

One of the community leaders from Anyuak said it was a great time the community elders, youths and women were together again after a long time of distant life of the community members when war had separated them apart.

Talking to the New Sudan Vision, many youths expressed their joy and happiness during the celebration:

"I am extremely glad to have seen my traditional dance for the first time again since early 90s when I last saw it in Pochalla. Our communities are reuniting again!" said Gilo Otholi, a twenty year old Anyuak from Pochala.

Another Anyuak youth, Amaliya Omot, 31 from Akobo, said he was glad to see Anyuak community leaders, both chiefs and community representatives in the government come together and discuss the New Year's strategies for the community.

With the dawning of peace, many Anyuak youths including Omot are hopeful that this would bring together the Anyuak people wherever they ran to during the war. Omot thinks that Anyuak community from inside Sudan, East Africa, Ethiopia and other parts of the World are joining up after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) two years ago.

Before the signing of the peace agreement it had been difficult to settle in one place. Many people in Sudan had grown up believing that peace was impossible during their time, therefore many appreciate the relative quietness.

Mary Odol Leero is one of those people who speak highly that she could now stay with her peace of mind in Juba: "I moved from Gambella to Pochalla and Pibor but found no peace. It is my pleasure that I have now come to Juba in peace", she said.

"Right to be educated"

The Director of Education for Pochalla County, Mr. Alama Nyigwo as part of the Anyuak strategy for the New Year encourages the Anyuak community everywhere to send children to school. Mr. Alama Nyigwo stresses the importance of education, but recognizes that only war deprived the people of schools.

Mr. Nyagwo believes now that the peace has come, children have the right to be educated. Many prominent Anyuak such as Opul Chana, of the military intelligence personnel and Lt. Col. John Joseph Abula, commissioner of Pochalla County were pleased to have the Anyuak meet in Juba. They urge the Anyuak youths whom they described as future leaders of South Sudan to carry on with their studies.

Appealing directly to the Anyuak Diaspora, the Commissioner wants those who 'called for job opportunities on the phone' while away from Pochalla to move down to the county and to get vacancies.

"Do not seek jobs or call on phones to confirm if job opportunities are available in the county, come by your self and you will find them."

"Anyuak is one family; from Akobo, Pochalla, Gambella and Tiernam. All are one. If you want to develop Anyuak, let us come together as one family", said the commissioner.

The commissioner called out for the educated Anyuaks in Diaspora and in some parts of the Sudan to come back home and develop their own home because "Anyuak land is not a battle field any longer but a home."

He advised all the different Anyuak communities to unite and love one another as one family.

"Multi-dimensional ways"

Meanwhile, Thomas Omot Opodhi, Member of Parliament (MP), South Sudan Legislative Assembly from Akobo Anyuak said the community of Anyuak had been heading multi-directional ways of living.

He said some of the youths from Anyuak among whom others were born during the war do not know the tradition of Anyuak. "Others do not even know Anyuak dialect", he lamented.

Significant as the census in Sudan is due to be conducted at the end of this year, the MP demands Anyuak community in Juba and all over the world, where others had taken resettlement during the war, to go to Akobo and Pochalla for counting.

"Akobo and Pochalla Anyuak are represented by a single member in the Parliament. That is not fair. It is census that will determine independent representation of each sovereign county", Mr. Omot remarked.

Addressing the gathering of Anyuak community, Maj.Gen David Okwer Akway, the deputy Inspector general of South Sudan Police advised the Anyuak community to maintain their culture.

"When it comes to dances, Anyuak used to be among the top traditions of South Sudan but I don't think the Anyuak of today can still manage that", he observed.

General Okwer advised the youths of Anyuak to refrain from anti-social habits like drunkenness, smoking and violence among local communities.

He empathized on the respect of Anyuak community especially among youths and the elders. "In our traditional society of the Anyuak, women could stay far from men and children could not sit in the chairs of elderly people. This spirit of respect must be reflected by a true Anyuak of today. If no respect is re-served in Anyuak, I won't come back home", he added.

The General cited with great consent the need for education of Anyuak community. "Education has no age limit. In some parts of the world, people go to schools with their own children. Illiteracy is blindness. Every person must at least be educated" said Okwer.