Jonglei Tribal Conflict: Government must find durable solution
By Isaiah Abraham
January 6, 2011 — It is exactly two weeks when Lou-Nuer Youth in Jonglei State started to attack their cattle herding counterparts and ever aggressive tribe called Murle. It was devastating and horrific to say the least. There have been displacements and deaths. The recovery will take a while. It is not anymore a small matter, but national problem that must be brought under control to avoid future recurrence. I fought tears when I looked back at what had happen in Jaale in Bor South County few months ago. Now our people are at it again in Lokuangulei. My people are becoming brutal, fear no God and savage against one another, an omen ( a bad one) that wasn’t there during the liberation struggle.
When people across our land celebrated what could have been arguably one of the blessing years (2011), the people of Jonglei conspired against one another, defying all manners of conventional reasoning and start to crush one another using all available arsenals and means.
I like what our beloved Vice President did when he immediately received the alarming news of Lou-Nuer group moving towards Murle Land. Dr. Riak Machar, in his usual caring spirit, wasted no time, but flew directly into the middle of fire and pitched camp among the advancing warriors of Nuer, in an attempt to persuade them from advancing further. That is leadership! The Youths (Lou) accepted to go home, but on condition that the Government must now takes over from them the mission of disarming Murle tribe. They also requested the return of children and women abducted during recent clashes.
The Vice President pleaded that the warriors should now give government the chance to sort out such problems, but two days later Juba was silenced as the Chief Executive was in the his village in Warrap along with his home boys on local traditional matters.
The Lou-Nuer Youth knew that the government had in the past made similar promises and no disarmament was done to Murle. They moved on searching for warriors from Murle youth, because then Murle fled and no one knew their whereabouts. They found a few and not much resistance. They entered the skirts of Pibor town on December 31, 2011, the very County headquarters and torched it down to ashes. They didn’t want to see anything Murle including Medicine San Frontiers (MSF) hospital there. The local people there left for the bushes. The United Nations contingency and small SPLA force helplessly watched the destruction of the town with no finger to lift. On Sunday morning they left to their bases around Lokuangulei.
The same day the 31 December, the President of the Republic emerged from his ill-timed and stretched leave in Akon (home village in Warrap State) and requested the Youth from Lou-Nuer to return to their homes. He also promised that he will send a force from the Southern Army to take control of the situation. Today as things stand, there are signs that Lou-Nuer Youths have moved back to their villages, but there is no activity as to the arrival of the force except a contingent from around Bor areas. The Southern Army arrival could be a long way to come, but also what would be the definite mandate of this force. Let’s hold our breath and see what that force will do there during the aftermath.
Though no one could ignore the fact that our young government needs time to pick up, especially in the area of infrastructure, there is no way the government should be left out of the blame for failing to stand up against armed civilians that have continued to terrorize others for nothing. The disarmament that is localized (say done by the state) doesn’t help our people, there will always be local politics that frustrate this important exercise. The job should be for the national government to start disarming.
The government humanitarian intervention yes, but that shouldn’t take attention away from insecurity dilemma caused by small arms in the hands of the civil population. Political divorce isn’t an option, people of Jonglei must learn to live together like people of Eastern Equatoria State. You can’t rush to heave blame on Lou-Nuer for seeking solution to their perennial problems of child abduction and theft.
How do you feel if another human being comes and take your child away at gun point or steal it. I’m not saying that the Murle must be wiped off the face of the earth or innocent lives such as children and women be involved, but I want Murle youth to feel the pinch! Your own child sometime must face the rod unless he/she spoils. Who lied that the wombs of other women from other tribes will have to produce Murle children. I want this chapter of civilians fighting one another closed; enough with deaths in Jonglei and other cattle rustling areas in our land. The SPLA should do its job.
Isaiah Abraham lives in Juba; he’s on [email protected]