Why Equatorian leaders must speak up
By Joseph Lukudu
January 15, 2009 — The killing of 50 innocent civilians in Western Equatoria and shooting of those young Equatorians in Juba were all behind the issue of land grabbing in Equatoria. It was reported mainly that the incident that had happened to the 50 lives in WES were part of LRA, but academically it is not. Because through the media and eyes witness, I believe that the LRA rebels have been chased out of Sudan and Congo border, apparently there isn’t any link to the lost of those lives. Some people are happy with the presence of LRA in Equatoria so that they can have a chance of using the umbrella of LRA to cover their own actions.
But exactly who is accountable to the lives lost in WES plus those in Juba? Logically and physically both are linked together to a specific group of people not LRA. It is all clear for us to understand who is responsible to the death of those people in both CES and WES, it is not a suggestion or imagination of this and that, but it is a physical incident with evidence and clearly proves of identification as to whom and why.
This is a serious sign, that those who were behind that killings, they are carrying a symbol of danger on their backs. This pride of being SPLA/M leaders must not be used as a tool for destroying other tribes. Some individuals within the SPLA/M are carrying a bad pride on their skin, eventually they were being pressured by their relatives or friends to carry this bad practice against others which will never help anyone but leave sorrow and sympathy to the victims and their remaining families. For our own joy, this game must be stopped as early as both Equatorians and Dinka communities are concerned. We have to identify those individuals who are trying to grow the fruit of division in South by committing crimes to knock our heads together.
I have been condemning all of those issues which were raised by some individuals, but today I have to focus on the truth that, the community of Dinka is absolutely 25% involved. Not to complain about this, the evidence are here on the ground that this main group are growing the fruit of division right here from Equatoria up to Upper Nile incidences. Therefore I would strongly call up on the 75 % population of good Dinka to join hands with other concerned communities to bring the rest of those people onto the right side. Here in Juba, the problems of insecurity do not only target Equatorians, Nuer, Acholi or other tribes. It is a big target to anyone whether Dinka or Equatorians.
You may think I am against the Dinka community, but definitely I would not point my finger at anyone purposely. I’m concerned about your live, my life and our lives as the people of South, remembering back to the time when we were in the bush as united south in the frontline we need each other. But today triblism is coming into our societies and the ruling system. Criminals are every where even here in Equatoria, Upper Nile, Lake State, Jonglei, Juba, Yei, Nimule, Bor, Yambio and others, but as a wise and genuine process of analysis. The heighest rating area would always be consider out of others rest.
I understand that some of the issues in Juba like the shooting of those Equatorians were behind land grabbing, but at some point it is part of poor management of security in most of the states in South. We must not point our fingers to anyone except Mr Kiir who has been ignoring the crying of Southerners. Kiir by himself would be the responsible man to explain why he is a leader but not doing his duty on the right order at a right time. The whole word for generallising dinkas does not mean that they are all involved in those incidence, but we have some individuals within their community who are the responsible people in 95% of the crimes against others in South.
Kiir as an individual apart from his community in general, he had prided himself as a leader of South and Southerners in general as the people of South are proud of him as their leader. But what is the meaning of being proud while things are heading extraordinarily? What will be the decision of Mr President on this matter, will he condemn this violent strategy again?
Some people like Equatorian leaders are pursuing titles instead of showing courage on this problem. I am not encouraging to the Equatoria Defence Force (EDF). But I want Equatorians leaders to speak up about the current matters in their own homeland. You cannot pursue a title like Mr president who has been ignoring the whole South. An individual like James Wani Igga and other top Equatorians figures in Goss have enough power to pay attention on the matters that are facing their own comrades. Speaking up doesn’t affect your title or position, Mr Wani Igga. Please, our fellow Equatorian leaders who are figured in GoSS, we are proud of you as our liberators of South, so why do you turn a blind eye to us?
In a history of Equatoria, I have never heard that even Arabs had killed a population of civilians ranging from 50 or 60 people in Equatoria at once, but this GoSS of Mr president is a dangerous threat to us. We must not let some people to use LRA as an umbrella for committing crimes in the South. Equatorians believe in faith and this is why they’re always going through a great pain.
Therefore, to the concerned Dinka community and Equatorians, it is desirable to live in peace and unity , but how can we enjoy the peace if hyenas are among ourselves? It is great that both sides need to join hands to bring those criminals to justice. We have to show them a serious example to bring an end to those crimes in every inch of the South. I also urge Equatorian leaders to act seriously to stop this land from being seen as a breeding ground for crimes and violence. A lot of tears have gone from innocent civilians in Equatoria, it is time to save the remaining ones. If you’re a concerned leader you should always speak up!
Joseph Lukudu Gumbiri (JLG) is Sudanese NGO worker in both East Africa and South Sudan
Mabior Ayuen Dengajok
Real Democracy need to be first understand in general equatoria.
Real Democracy
South Sudan is at once a tropical garden, a waterless area, a fertile plain, and a mountainous wilderness, rich in mineral deposits.
It has all the distinctions of soil, climate, many tribes with riches in cultures and physical features that are so unique anywhere in the world.
And yet its matter of good government that can provides good level of security, education, hospital and school, but many southerners will have to suffered if their country leadership can not change for better ways to tackle its citizens needs, by providing best level of democracy, freedom of speech and freedom of movement.
Freedom of movement means anyone can move from state to state without approval been issue, now in the South, Equatorians citizens does not like Dinkas or Nuers in their territory because of what so call “occupied of land” by Dinka people or Nuer. Note; everyone fought in the South without saying, this isAcholi land, Dinka or Taposa land, we both fought for our liberation secular for South Sudan.
we are strong supporter of the democratic process, we young generation of the south at the moment and I believe we have a enough ways to judge who is not making good progress in our country, this is call agood democracy of freedom of speech,however,healthy democracy in this country.needs aleader who mind about his nation or people, not any leader who is greedy and greedy!!
I do not blame those who committed themselves in government and abused the role of laws, simply the act like good leaders and later its been figured out that they has invested so much money on their account oversea or has bough afamily car or build expensive house at home or abroad. “its because they are not been tought how to be respectfully by their family” and there is no serious corruption law that could make one get trail and court or even jails.
I also believe that almost all of our MPs, of whatever party in South Sudan, seek good points for the future leader, they must work for the good of South Sudan and do their very best to live up to that way and people will judge who is who to rule our nation, your background is the first thing that make you or future posible towards leadership.
Governments and politicians must always be held to account and their activities scrutinised, but the increasing cynicism shown towards them by the media is one of the most good forces in any society that make leaders fears of embarassment and that can lead changes in South Sudan. Our Southerners fears of been toture or lockup. We must have a state of expression, media reports or anything that make of freedom of expression.
By Mabior Ayuen Dengajok
Kuol Madhier Anyang
Why Equatorian leaders must speak up
First of all, let me say that I’m sorry for lives which are being losed and second, this article lack factual elements as to who really did the killing of fifty people in west equatoria. There is nothing that shows these people were killed by dinkas. And it also didn’t say whether these dinkas were soldiers or civilians? I asked that question because if the murders were soldiers than they belong to SPLA and not dinka, thus some like to confuses the two which are entirly different.
There have been many articles written from this website and maybe others site about dinka’s killing others tribes. And because of that one would comes out with a perception that Dinkas are the only people who are not being killed in the south but that is not true. There have been many innocents people who have been killed in Jongeli state by none other than some Murle and Nuer-Lou criminals, as a matter of fact seven people were killed on December 28, 2008. Now this is not to deny the killing of 50 people in equatoria which is reported in the above article, but to say that Dinkas are also suffering like anybody esle in south and the person we should be pointing our fingers at is the government of southern Sudan because it is their responsibility to make sure that security of innocents people is the number one issue on their list. This problem is big but it can be solve if our government chose to pay attention to it. We have the army which can be use to solve this problem since our law enforcement system is still very weak.
This Land grabbing thing has been a talking point lately and the writer is right to called for his leaders to speak up because it is the responsibility of the state to appropriate the land. They have power to kick people who don’t belong to that state out if they want to.
The only way in which people from others state can acquired the land in EQ is to purchase the plot from the land comissioner.
I also think that this is not a land grabbing but a temporary settlement and this people will eventually go to their state when the security get better. And in places like Juba first as an Equatorian you have to know that Juba is a Capitol city of southern Sudan in the mean time and you would expect many people from different parts of the country who may be there looking for a job from the central government. The government of the south basically own the land in Juba and it is going to be their agreement with the native of Juba not even all equatorian to decide who is going to stay where in the city.
I have never been to Juba but I heard that government of south in Juba gave some land to its soldiers in order for their families to stay there temporary while they are deployed. To me that is not a land grabbing by no means. There are also some business people who bought land from the government that is not a land grabbing itself.
Allow me to say that we can achieve our goals only when we respect each anothers point of view during our debate but not bickering and insulting. I know that there are good people in every tribe in the south those who can be fair even when they are disagreeing with others and bad people who don’t have any regards for human being even those they are fighting on their behave.