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Sudan Tribune

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Two shot in Jonglei during celebrations of final referendum results

By John Actually

February 8, 2011 (BOR) – Two people were seriously injured in Bor town, the capital of Jonglei, as thousands of people celebrated the announcement that South Sudan had voted to become independent.

Malual Akochok on bed at Bor Civil Hospital after he was shot in the nose by celebratory gunfire after the announcement of South Sudan's imminent independence. Feb 8, 2011 (ST)
Malual Akochok on bed at Bor Civil Hospital after he was shot in the nose by celebratory gunfire after the announcement of South Sudan’s imminent independence. Feb 8, 2011 (ST)
Gunshots broke the nights silence on February 7 as people fired into the air beating drums and shouting from 9pm until midnight.

Former soldier Malual Akochok was shot on the upper side of his nose. Duom Deng Achiek (16) was received a serious injury to her hip by the celebratory gunshots. South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir had warned against celebratory gun fire before the announcement.

Akochok told Sudan Tribune where he was being treated at Bor Civil Hospital that he does not know who shot him, adding that guns were shot in celebration of the new nation to be. He said he did not blame the person responsible.

Jonglei governor Kuol Manyang, a tired condemned the celebratory fire, which lasted for three hours. An anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade was also launched at 11:38pm local time on Monday 7 February. The governor said that the gun fire had scared Bor’s population.

Citizens in Bor followed the announcement of referendum results conducted in Sudan’s capital Khartoum, live on Mirraya FM, South Sudan TV and Al Jazeera declaring. An overwhelming 98.83 percent of votes in the south’s referendum were for independence.

Jonglei governor, Kuol Manyang told people in a celebration organized in front of his office on Tuesday February the 8th that the happiness of new independent state comes as a result of more than two decades civil war by Sudan People’s Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M) against various Khartoum governments from 1983 to 2005.

The civil war ended with the 2005 power and wealth sharing deal – the Comprehensive Peace Agree (CPA) – granting southerners the right to self-determination.

A women's group running across the field in celebration in front of the Jonglei governor's office in Bor on Tuesday. Feb 8, 2011 (ST)
A women’s group running across the field in celebration in front of the Jonglei governor’s office in Bor on Tuesday. Feb 8, 2011 (ST)

The celebration was attended by organised forces, women groups, church goers and traditional dancers who welcomed the new nation with chants in their local languages. They thanked the Khartoum government and president Omar Hassan Al-Bashir for accepting South Sudan’s independence. The region is now due to become independent on July 9.

Governor Kuol said, while addressing gathering, that the festival taking place was “just rehearsing” for the next historic date of July 9 when Africa’s 55th nation will be born.

The former southern rebels the SPLA/M, was formed after a group south Sudanese soldiers rebelled after they were asked to relocate to the north in what they perceived to be against the peace deal that ended Sudan’s first civil war (1955-1973).

Major Kerubino Kuany in Bol shot the first bullet in the rebellion at Malualchat, five miles away from Bor on the Juba-Bor road on May 16, 1983. The Bor mutiny, which received quick support from Ayod and Pochalla, was led by John Garang, who went on to led the southern rebels until he died months after signing the 2005 peace deal.

“Our next enemy is poverty”

Governor Kuol citizens to work hard to feed the growing population of the state, saying poverty eradication is the next ultimate war to fight.

Jonglei governor Kuol Manyang celebrating the final results of South Sudan's referendum on independence at celebration on Tuesday. Feb 8, 2011 (ST)
Jonglei governor Kuol Manyang celebrating the final results of South Sudan’s referendum on independence at celebration on Tuesday. Feb 8, 2011 (ST)

“As our war with the North has finished, north is no longer our enemy, but the next enemy in line is poverty. Young and strong men should work hard to raise children, build good houses, educate children and drive in good cares”, Kuol said.

Kuol stressed the importance of agriculture as the only back bone of the new nation to be, saying the government is ready to support a group of farmers who organized themselves with tractors for farming.

“The independence we will achieve in July the 9th is not enough to justify why our people died in the war unless work hard to feed ourselves. The Government of South Sudan is ready to support any well organized group of farmers with tractors to increase food production”, Kuol added.

Around two million people died and four million were displaced during the conflict.

Kuol took the opportunity to deny media reports that his deputy governor and two ministers had resigned.

On February 7, the United Nation’s radio station, Mirraya FM, quoted Al-Ufak newspaper based in the Khartoum, saying that deputy governor of Jonglei state Hussein Maar Nyuot, minister of physical infrastructure Manow Gatkuoth and finance minister Mam Maluth had resigned from the state government.

The governor said the reports were false and designed to destabilize his government.

(ST)

18 Comments

  • Quol Quot
    Quol Quot

    TIME TO BEGIN LIBERATION OF BOR/JONGLEI
    TIME TO BEGIN LIBERATION OF BOR/JONGLEI

    We have just finished the S. Sudan lberation. Our next liberation will be on Murle. This liberation has to happen, otherwise, our fight against the Arab will be meaningless because a total freedom has not been achieved in Jonglei state and especially in our home counties. All we need is to gather our youth, where ever they maybe and then lead our next struggle against the murle. They are our next oppressors and we have to achieve your our freedom at all cost. They are doing what Arab was not even doing to us: Arab was concerned mainly with oil. Murle is killing our mothers and fathers and abducting and selling our children. They are taking away our wealth in forms of cattle. Is this the community we have to work for?

    We need all our youth from Bor including those that are driving tanks in Abyei right now, whose their children and parents are being slaughter and sold. This youth is from Bor first before they are from S. Sudan. This has to happen, otherwise life for our community will be meaningless on earth. Towns cannot accommodate all villagers. The murle needs to be defeated and faced seriously with destruction in order to stop this barabaric act that is not found anywhere in the world except in Jonglei.

    folks, don’t wait for this Salva’s gov’t to release you from JIU and your other units to give you a green light. We just have to mobilize ourselves and do what Lou Nuer did to Murle. This is the only medicine they need. All else will fail.

    To those who worry about the ICC. Does the ICC endorse killing and selling of other human beings? In their countries, what do they do to people who kill other people?

    War between us and the Murle must begin as soon as the Arabs are out of the south.

    What will prevent this war is when the Murle as a community sit down and stop all their people from raiding our elderly and children when our youth is busy in S. Sudan army.

    Quol Quot

    Reply
  • Bol Deng
    Bol Deng

    Two shot in Jonglei during celebrations of final referendum results
    Dear brother Malual Akochok,

    The word that you said really understand that you are a patriotic person in your life.

    Thanks you for your word, indeed that person who miss fire his gun shot you but the God was there and that is why he keep your life. Your life is so important to all of us.

    We have liberate the South and now it is time we need to work for the betterment for the South Sudan.
    SPLM/A oyee

    Reply
  • Joseph
    Joseph

    Two shot in Jonglei during celebrations of final referendum results
    QUOI QUOI

    You’re suffering from inferiority complex. What is painful between 1991 massacre and child abduction of murle?

    Reply
  • ayor
    ayor

    Two shot in Jonglei during celebrations of final referendum results
    I am so sorry to those who have unfortunately involved in gun-shot injuries while in an exhilaration mood of celebratiion, this has to do with carelessness and guns mishandling while in use, and could be that they were intoxicated.

    Even though if they weren’t drunk…. then they should have known gun’s consequences when being misused in public arenas…. that they are lethally devastating if not carefully use in safety ways!.

    Lastly, thank to the governor on his final speech regarding the (poverty)as the next target, hope he’s going to exert all his efforts in tackling and eradicating it and thank

    By Ayor Sodit

    Reply
  • San Manyuon
    San Manyuon

    Two shot in Jonglei during celebrations of final referendum results
    I want to extent my heartfelt condolence to my wounded brothers and their families. You had fought for us and had got out of the war to celebrate with us this moment and to see the fruit of your heroism. I am very sorry that you became victimized here during this happy days. I am sure the gunmen didn’t mean what became a tragic, they were like you celebrating. I am wishing you a quick recovery and I hope those injuries were not life threating or resulting in any deformation.
    My dear gunmen and who ever carry a gun in the country, please be a very responsible soldier or veteran, Use your gun in the right way, refrain from using it when you’re anger, don’t even think about intimidating others with it.

    As for Murle and Nuer, your names always appear when there is civilians attack or abduction. I know this is not the whole community, but there is work to be done you have to clean yourselves, only you have to do it. There’re criminals in every tribe and people who have been attack have their criminals too, but I don’t think those names have been mentioned a lot for nothing, check it out why and don’t response that I, like many have accused such communities. Please, let us change the cultural behaviors of our communities, behaviors that result in killings or raiding others. I know or have read that some communities’ life defend on raiding others, if this is true, then as Nomlawda mentioned, we need to educate ourselves better, that such a life should be abolish and people should be taught to see all Southern Sudanese as brothers and sisters and help police the law. We’re not eye for an eye community, this is a sharia law that we fought against.
    My educated brothers and sisters, your education is valuable in changing the mind of people, I know many of you live in foreign societies that are very peaceful, how they came to be, it’s because of people like you. Be a peace maker today.

    Finally, I am urging you brothers and sisters to use social networks for good purposes. Don’t say or mention words that would irritate others in the public places, use these technological network to cultivate the good deeds, to voice your opinions and be constructive.
    Thank all

    Reply
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