On the tribal clashes in Western Equatoria
Dec 29, 2005 — Most of the Humanitarian organizations estimate that about four millions Southern Sudanese had been internally displaced by the war, most of them have moved northward, but quite a good number have settled in the south especially in the liberated areas. As many southern Sudanese the war had caused the Bor Dinka to settled in Western equatoria and lived there for more than a decade, but now with the peace agreement and the formation of GOSS the situation is different and sensitive as many people are voluntarily going back to their communities.
The deadly tribal clashes in Western equatoria is a post war conflict between the indigenous communities and the internal displaced persons in south Sudan and should be addressed in the context of the role of the new south Sudan government in the repatriation of the IDPs within South Sudan.
Our hearts freeze to see the unnecessary bloodshed that had happened in Western equatoria, and our condolence goes to those who had lost their loved ones. We hold the GOSS responsible for bringing to justice those responsible for that tragic misery. Our hearts also go to the Dinka who have been expelled and forced to repatriate through a hard journey to face the uncertainties in Bor. However, the conflict in Western equatoria is nomad’s against agrarian’s societies and should not be politicize. Those people did not fight over who should represent Western euqatoria, as there is no a single Dinka named in the western equatoria cabinet. So we are not dealing with another Kokora here.
What had happened in western equatoria had shown that our coexistence in communities with different norms and trades need to be regulated, but it should not be interpreted with pessimism and twisted as a failure of our political establishment or a threat to our unity. The debate is still open as to what kind of system and representation we want in the South. We all should participate in that discourse. But the issue at stake here is the principle of the community ownership of the land, which I believe should be respected.
What had happened in Western Equatoria should be taken seriously and the GOSS should be held responsible in expediting the process of the repatriation and the relocation of the IDPs within the south. We should not relay fully on the international community to do that for us. IDPs are ticking booms and the like kind of tribal clashes are likely to happen again in other places where people are voluntarily returning to their villages to find out that the place is occupied by the neighboring tribes. A good example of this will be Panyidway area in the Shilluk kingdom, where some neighboring tribes have settled and even changed the names of some villages. Most of the settlers in Panyidway area are the families of the armed pro-government militias.
The Bor Dinka forced repatriation from Western Equatoria is heartbreaking, yet one applause the GOSS for taking that courageous difficult decision as we can not at this time afford to loss valuable lives over the issues of difficult co-existence between the nomads and agrarians societies. The land in our countryside is community owned and we all should respect that principle. Therefore, the Western equatorians have the right to reside in their villages with no interruption to their life style.
The Western equatoria syndrome may be contagious and likely to outbreak in other places in the south; therefore, the GOSS should consider unimpeded repatriation of the IDPs from places such as the Shilluk Kingdom where the Western equatorial syndrome is most likely to spread. A very urgent security seminar sponsored by GOSS and attended by all the security advisors of the ten states should take place in Juba to evaluate the security situation, push for the disarmament of the militias and the withdrawal of the Northern troops. It takes guts and leadership to make difficult decisions; therefore, I salute the GOSS and its leadership and appreciate the obedience of the Bor Dinka and their wisdom in understanding the danger of the situation. Now, as the IDPs have yielded it is the role of the GOSS, civil societies, and the humanitarian agencies to make the atmosphere conducive for the Dinka to settle in Bor. if the Bor Dinka repatriation works then the GOSS should replicate the process in other places in South Sudan as a vaccine for the Western equatoria syndrome.
* Kwathi Ajawin is a Sudanese residing in USA, and currently an interim president for the Greater Upper Nile Association (GUNA).
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