The Unfortunate Situation in Western Equatoria
By Watts Roba Gibia Nyirigwa*
Dec 14, 2005 — There are lots of comments, analysis and opinion piece of views on the unfortunate incidents which erupted in Western Equatoria State between the hosting community and Dinka-Bor/IDPs. But none of those writings touched the actual core of the quandary, as some of those writings are either tribal motivated or swallow and very myopic in its evaluation, and rather is trying to incite and agitate the situation, rather than to heal the wounds and cultivate unity among our southern ethnic groups under the current volatile situation in the region.
As a Southerner, I believe that the tribes are pride of our diversity which forms South Sudan, and our ethnic communities have great history of living together, whether during contentment or desolation. They are all arbitrarily, sons and daughters of South Sudan, brothers and sisters and there is no hand in this world would untie their bond. As I mentioned in some of my articles, every Southerner has got the right to live anywhere in part of south Sudan, but it does not constitute to enforce or imposition of group on another and repartition of the south Sudan ethnic landscape. The amalgamation of the ethnic groups has been there amicably with peaceful coexistence side by side for thousand of years, and not absolute assimilation, as each tribe has got its own ethics of living. And that is evident in all parts of the world. And God is not mistaken to set those boundaries among its people since the creation of the universe. There are some conflicts which used to occur within or between our ethnic groups, and indeed it was a fight between brothers and sisters, and it shouldn’t be labeled as detest of one ethnic group against another.
The actual conflict history between Moru community and Dinka-Bor/IDPs was posted at Sudan Tribune on October 16, 2005 (press-releases) which demonstrates the facts and variety of incidents occurred and the various attempts made at the high levels of SPLM/A including Late Garang, Salva Kiir, Riak Machar, Samuel Abu John, Chiefs of both Moru and IDPs, Joint Team and NGOs to resolve the situation, were all apparent and everyone was informative, but yet it doesn’t yield any fruits!
When the conflict erupted in September 2005 in Mundri counties, enormous appeals were made to the GOSS and Governor of Western Equatoria State to contain the situation, but no swift action was taken by the GOSS, and the situation was left to mount, and that was evident in the post of Juba Post/ST at Sudan Tribune on October 6, 2005 which highlighted the danger of escalating situation in the area.
The slow respond of GOSS came after one month, by dispatching two battalions from Yei in the second week of October to the area! Since then, the situation was reported to the Vice President Machar, Governors of Western Equatoria, Baher el Gebel and Jonglei and they promised to take prompt action, but all was considered on low profile! MP of Mundri East has been longing to meet President Salva Kiir on the same issue, but his request was turned down! And he raised the issue at the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly on November 8, 2005, in which he explained the chaotic situation in the area and how people deserted their homes and atrocities committed by the SPLA power abusers and IDPs, and requested that an urgent committee of investigation be formed to look into the situation. But there was no action either from GOSS or the Legislative Assembly, and the situation was left to escalate till it reached its peak when it erupted in Tambura, Yambio and Nzara. All these events are happening at the watch of Salva Kiir and his government, and should bear the fault for this unfortunate situation.
Now, we have to have a comprehensive look at the whole situation, and wonder, why GOSS doesn’t respond swiftly to contain the situation when first erupted in September? And why the SPLA responded swiftly by airlifting SPLA forces from Yei and other areas to contain the conflict which occurred between Dinka Atwuat and Agar in Yirol in 2004? And why GOSS waited for more than a month to dispatch the forces to the area? And why GOSS has taken the conflict in Wetern Equatoria State at low profile, despite the repeated appeals? Is it due to the GOSS lack of logistics or there is no mechanism of swift respond to any threat that disrupts our unity? Yet the power enforcement vacuum on the ground has been exploited by some wrong elements, power abusers and bandits in igniting and escalating the conflict to reach its current stage to enforce the relocation of Dinka-Bor IDPs. Both hosting community and Dinka-Bor/IDPs were unfortunate and victims of the circumstances and due to our inability to resolve and find a suitable solution on the ground as being done in various parts of south Sudan.
Hence, after reading comments, articles and opinion piece of views such as “The Dinka-Bor and the Moru clashes”, “The unfortunate Dinka-Bor relocation”, “The Fate of the Dinka-Bor IDPs: homeless in their country?” and “Dinka-Bor relocation: Will history forgive and forget?”. Here we have to pause for a while and hold our breath and zeal, and then review the whole circumstances which led to the creation of this unfortunate situation, before pointing finger of hatred and polluting the atmosphere. It was the devastated war which relocated and scattered everyone in south Sudan. And we need not to forget that the hand of our enemy is stretching everywhere to cause chaos and sedition among us. And that was obvious in the split of SPLM/SPLA and massacre of Bor in 1991. And the strategy of our enemy is to see us persistently deep in conflicts and not in stable situation. Thus, when we have a complete perception of the situation, all Southerners are unfortunate and homeless in their own country! And not to let our zeal turn us blind from the truth, as brothers and sisters, we have to forgive all of us and heal our wounds and restore everyone’s dignity and respect, and not to permit our enemies to untie our natural bond. Our southern intellectuals are the light to light our society, eye of those who can not see and voice of the voiceless. Thus, let us call the unfortunate relocation of Dinka-Bor/IDPs as an accident, and let us forget our indifferences and unit amicably and intentionally to face the challenge before us.
* Watts Roba Gibia Nyirigwa, is a Sudanese based in Cairo – Egypt. E-mail: [email protected]