The Dinka Bor and the Moru clashes
By Mark Omina Luka*
Nov 9, 2005 — It is a matter of concern to bring into attention the situation that is happening between the Dinka Bor IDPs and the Moru community in Western Equatoria. It is very unfortunate situation that we have just come out of war to peace but CPA seems still stands aloof as there are pockets of arms groups, that includes the LRA, cattle rustling and tribal clashes just to mention a few. Each one of us would like to enjoy the fruits of the CPA and by all means avoid any bloodshed after having gone through hardship under the hands of our oppressors for 21 years.
The Dinka Bor IDPs clashes with the Moru community should have been the work of the authority present in the area who could take immediate measures to curb the prevalence of violence between the two communities by laying strategies for the two to follow strictly. One way is for the elders and chiefs of the Moru and Dinka Bor is to sit down to find the root cause of the fighting, if the Dinka cows are driven or have not been controlled not to destroy the Moru farms, they should be advised to move their cattle far from the farms. The Moru are farmers and the Dinka are nomads hence the cardinal cause of fighting has been attributed to the roaming Dinka cattle around the Moru farms. This is simple, move cattle far from farms or to their original places and you will not hear fighting, if that is the cause.
The 21 years had displaced almost three quarters of Southern Sudanese from their original homes and became either refugees in the neighboring sister countries or IDPs within their mother homeland. What is needed from each refugee once in a foreign land, we need to adhere to the rules and laws of the host country, respect the people and adopt ourselves to the life they are in. As IDPs in another community’s land has never been the choice of anyone but the war environment have forced each one of us to move to another community’s’ land leaving our lovely homes where no one can come knocking at our doors asking for house rent. Nevertheless, we have to take precautions of whatever assets we carry whenever moving to someone’s land be it cows, dogs, or children, our cows should not touch any ones farm because that might be the source of life to that community, no one should temper with anybody’s cows because that might be the source of life to that community, when this happens definitely it will results to war.
Peace has been signed, all those who are refugees in the neighbouring countries will have to come back to their beautiful homelands voluntarily, and the IDPs too will happily go back to their homelands. Nothing is sweeter than living in your own land than being a foreigner because no one will bother asks you for a passport or an ID card. If the Moru people are not ready to live with the Dinka Bor IDPs, then I don’t see the reason why Bor people would like to stay in the Moru land when they are rejected and have an ever green land for grassing, enough water for their cattle and enough land to cultivate. I don’t think it is wise to keep on losing lives day-by-day in someone’s land when I am rejected; this may not be a rejection by the host community, but what we own creates misunderstanding to ourselves.
Many people from different ethnic backgrounds have been accommodated in all parts of Equatoria, from East to West and from North to South, I disagree with Mading Akec Kuai on what he wrote on his comment entitled ?The fate of the Dinka Bor IDPs Sunday 9 Oct.2005: homeless in their own country that? ”In the eyes of many Equatorians, the Dinka are occupiers”, I can say this is a big NO, Equatorians are very hospitable and welcoming. Who are the Bor, are they not our brothers and sisters and fellow Sudanese? If an individual say so, that is particular and should not be general. The Dinka Bor are not homeless in their own country, whether they are in Equatoria or in any part of Southern Sudanese, they are in their home and have the right to live in.
*Mark Omina Luka, is a Sudanese from Rumbek. Email: [email protected]