Where is the law in Southern Sudan
By Joseph Lukudu Gumbiri
November 2, 2008 — I have seen that some individuals are highly concerned about their tribes from being finger-pointed by most people due to their misconduct. Actually I agree to this, because the pain that you can feel about your tribe being singled out in the media is absolutely acceptable, but if you are genuine with the decent knowledge of judging what is good and what is bad, why don’t you ask yourself that, if you can feel the pain in your heart as your fellow Equatorians about their land, why don’t you discourage your brothers from misconduct and spoiling your identity? It is unwise to fight for your only rights while things are getting from bad to worse.
The issue of land grabbing in every state of Greater Equatoria and Ma’di in particular has not been an easy point to be solved by the ordinary people without the help of GOSS officials. The Equatorian people have been living peacefully and they accept their fellow Dinka to be with them as we do have Equatorians in Dinkaland, but the current threat to some Equatorians by some Dinka has been a very bad point in this country.
Some people talk of land, land, land, but on whose land are you trying to convince? Everyone has his/her own land, it means for the Dinka they have their land in their states, Bari and Madi have their land in Equatoria and Nuer have their land in their respective areas. Clearly, I’d agree that this does not avoid each one to move from his motherland to settle in other states, first because we’re Southerners and African in identity without an alien color; secondly, we’ve been working together as brothers to liberate our own lands and thirdly, we’re under the SPLA/M and we believe in a single vision which we’ve been struggling for not to be dominated by Islamist government of the NCP.
However, those facts don’t tell us that the leadership of SPLA/M should be used against our own people. Dinka, Nuer, Bari, Madi, Shullik, Acholi, Lotuku and others, must not act as a dominator against any of the Southern tribes. It’s a crime if we believe that the misconduct of those individuals in Greater Equatoria is a right option to be followed. Some people have expressed a strong language against the Article of Dr. Ramba about avoiding “Kokora” and I really agree that we must not take ourselves backward by bringing the kokora into our societies. Attacking Ramba articles is an offence to my individual belief, because let’s bring every matter into the hands of justice.
We must not block the issues or jumble them in our back and leaving the ordinary people to suffer as if we’re still in the bush. It is time for everyone whether Dinka, Bari, Nuer, Madi, Acholi, Lotuko etc… to enjoy the little we’ve for ourselves. Chasing Dinka from Equatoria, killing and torture of Equatorians in their land, shooting in Lake state are all meant of insecurity in this region of Southern Sudan, and are sorts of crimes that we must abolish before 2009. We must workout every issue facing us to make the oncoming 2009 more enjoyable for our people, our citizens could not feel as they are in their own home country when going to polling station with sadness of what is happening to them. It is good to consider yourself as a tenant whenever living in other states and comply with the law, and don’t be a victim. The land belongs to us; however it is not for misconduct against each other, for instance, if those Dinka individuals are trying to live in Equatoria, why did they intend to sell some of the land to foreigners? They also grab land by force from the ordinary people and they threaten the victims and deny them freedom of speech on their rights.
To summarize this writing, I’d accept that we are one and each of us must understand and comply with the law, every person has their own land and if you think you’ve been racist, please ask yourself and watch your behavior.
Don’t be a victim of crime and don’t make others to be, what you can do everyone can do and the pain that you cause on others is exactly the same as on yourself. As a genuine society in Southern Sudan, we must consider that a mistake is always done by a human being and it can be fix by humans, not watching the amount of issues to get from bad to worse, we cannot wait for someone from US or UK to come and help us with our issues, So it is time for GoSS officials to act seriously on current tragedies practiced by some individuals. The people in Southern Sudan need each other, Bari, Dinka, Madi, Nuer and others cannot defeat the enemy without the support of each other. Similarly we have to live and work together as one, but not turning against each other or pretending to act like superior on others. It is a kind of crime against humanity.
The writer is a Sudanese businessman who trades in Southern Sudan and East Africa; he can be reach at [email protected]
Mading Hon Machiek
Where is the law in Southern Sudan
Equatorians,
Cann’t you spare even a single day without complaining or singing Dinka? It has become a daily routine to you that you forget the fact that we are still on the road to independence.Every body is waking up early in the morning only to think of something against his/her liberator rather than thinking something productive to the nation.
By the way do i trust you guys (Eqat.)? You are like a chameleon which changes colours based on the environment where it happens to be in that particular moment. In time of war, you guys forget being the sons and daughters of the soil and claim to be Ugandans,Congolese and so on. Now that peace has come, Equatorians can be seen every where competing for identity as Southern Sudanese.
Please try to restrain from that ego-centric behaviour where you don’t like a slice of bread being given to your fellow country man. Why talk of land now? how about in 80s and 90s?
The Equatorian who suffered here during the war are the only heros of greater equatoria. And may God bless them.
Freedom Fighter
Where is the law in Southern Sudan
Mr. Gumbiri, Your article sounds politer and very specific than one posted by Mr.Ramba. If it is true as you mentioned that some officials and personnel from the GOSS are looking down on people and grabing land by force from indigenous Equatorians, then I would agree with you and condemn such conducts as barbaric and irresponsible. Those who are grabing land by force from equatorians and look down on them do not represent entire Dinka nor their characters do. Believe me, they are doing the same thing even to their fellow Dinkas in the Dinka land. Southern Sudan’s freedom fighters continue to think that it is always best for our interest to avoid tribalism by abstaining from use of certain terms such as use of tribal names, and calling an individual or individuals by his or their tribe’s name. Lastly, I think it is worth to mention that beating on Dinka drum as a means to rally support against Dinka tribe, or portraying SPLM/SPLA as Dinka movement such a tactic was tried and proven wrong. It did not work over the last 21 years and still can’t work even today.
Mr Famous Big_Logic_Boy
Where is the law in Southern Sudan
Mr Gumbiri, i agree with you in some points about the killing in Greater Equatoria, in fact the really issue of those arrogant dinkas is nearly getting out of hands. Leaders are silent like a group pigs in the mud, the cold blood shed of the Equatoria is one of the issue that we must not tolerate until tomorrow. Those people and dinka in particular are the current enemies to be faced with brave and red eyes, It is sad to see that we have struggled for others to sit on others like how the madi,Acholi and Bari are living under threat and horror. This issues will never end if Goss and kiir in particular has no intention to discipline his kids, and in my opinion this will never happen, what we have do is think and take the courage for our own benefit not to be rule by those crazy actors.
However in your word of saying that, chasing dinkas is a crime makes me to feel sick, it is not a genuine opinion to be expressed, we must not encourage those dinkas by saying they will not leave the Equatoria land, whether they like or not. They have to go to where they came from, they are encouraging the fake Uganda and Congolese ladies to come into this city of Juba and doing those crazy business along the streets. They are enouraging HIV AID into this beautiful state of Greater Equatoria, dinka must go back whether soon nor later. It is my oaths that this must happen and they will never occupy any piece of land in this region. Exactly to your opinion that “no body hates everyone but watch your behaviours” because i by myself i don’t hate them. But i will never allow their behavior to be in my own mother land of Greater Equatoria. How can we allow those frequent crimes in jungle to be brought into this state,the killing of each other because of meat (cattle), shame on your guys for killing your own brother in lake state just because of meat which is faeces after digestion (6 hrs).
Concerned Citizen
Where is the law in Southern Sudan
This land issue ought to be debated to end the grievances constantly express by our Equatorian brethrens. How could this be done? By discussing and debating about the possibly of re-locating the capital somewhere suitable that would accommodates all Southern Sudanese.
I remembered this issue was raised back in 2005 by some concerned Dinka and Nuer that Equatorian brothers may revives the Kokora era again and this was rightly rejected by some Equatorians.
This must be discuss again to avoid any further fingers-pointing.