February 24, 2012 (JUBA) – A Nuer elder Stephen Puok Choljok, from Nyirol County in Jonglei State, came to The Citizen newspaper recently to explain the root causes of the conflict in Jonglei State.

He said in order to stop war in Jonglei State involving the three tribes of Lou Nuer, Murle and Dinka Bor raiding of cattle, abduction of children and killing of women must be stopped.

He also proposed that the capital of Jonglei State should be transferred to a different place called Gatdeang instead of Bor so that it is central to all the tribes of the State.  He Bor is situated at the edge of the state border with Juba and should be taken further inland to be comfortable to all the tribes. Puok said at Gatdeang there is a fantastic road network which leads to five directions and such a scenario is not found anywhere in the South. From this spot the roads go to Akobo, to Pochalla, to Pibor, to Fangak and to Bor.   

According to Puok, the state capital should be relocated to the no man’s land and    Gatdeang serves that definition better otherwise or Pagak is also suitable. He further said since the state population is growing to one million it can be divided into two states and they can be called South and North States of Jonglei.

Puok said after the war was over the government of South Sudan promised the Nuer people that the problems in the state would be solved and now is the time to solve them. He said the Lou Nuer however waited for five months without any response from the government to solve the problems. Puok claimed that the government did not keep the promise which it made to the citizens in Piri Payam. He also criticized the costs of nationality card and travel documents which he described as very expensive. He proposed that the authority should reduce nationality card 25 SSP and passport to cost 150 SSP because in his words 85% of Southerners are living without jobs.

Source: The Citizen