On the controversial Bor separatist group
By Nhial Tiitmamer
March 17, 2007 — I am concerned about the way our internet media is being abused by a group of self centred, short sighted and inward looking individuals who are hell bent on tearing our society apart through their hateful scams. What is too mind boggling is the way some of the editors are aiding these groups by publishing such hate filled, unethical and immoral trashes.
Like others, I have been complaining about the new trend of publishing which seems to go against the universally accepted codes of publishing but some of our online media editors seem not to heed such an important advice. This time around I am not only concerned but I am also deeply outraged by the press release published by Sudan Tribune and South Sudan nation web sites. The press release is attributed to Bor Community not only condemning the SPLM but also went as far as calling on Jonglei citizens to chase away the SPLM in the South. What a joke! While the Bor Community can criticize the SPLM; it can not go beyond disowning the SPLM.Bor Community is one of the Communities who have suffered a lot because of the SPLM struggle and its belief has always been to fix the weaknesses within the SPLM instead of destroying it or withdrawing its support. The Community’s belief is premised on the fact that the SPLM is the only formidable vehicle feared by the cliques of oppressors in the centre. It is the vehicle for freedom on which the marginalized people has pinned their hopes on.
If Bor as a community wants to criticize the SPLM leadership; it can do it in a responsible manner and through right channels such as elected traditional community leaders as well as recognized and respected community intellectuals. It is unethical and uncivilized for a group of individuals to sell their selfish agenda in the name of the Bor Community. Bor Community is not a reckless community on whose behalf such ill intended group should sell their destructive agenda. I challenge if any mandated Bor leader is behind this press release to come out and face members of the Bor Community.
I call on the editors of Sudan online media to prove the authenticity of such controversial press releases beyond reasonable doubt before publishing them. A reliable press release would carry the names of the endorsers, their contacts and the information about their organizations. And an other way to prove the reliability of doubtful organization is to ask people about its existence and its mandate and if very few people know anything about it, then it would be advisable for the editors to decline publishing such a message. Editors should be mindful about the laws of publishing such as defamation and libel laws. Editors should formulate a guide line of what to publish.
A few weeks ago, Shilluk Community was scandalized and stood divided in the same way. Such groups also have been doing the same thing on behalf of Nuer and Equatoria communities. It would relatively be better if such individuals write the press releases as their personal opinions but not as opinions of the whole communities. Members of Nuer Community have been curiously asking for the mysterious Captain John Galuak Kam but nobody knows.
A friend of mine let me laugh last time when he said that the ones responsible for internet trashes might be gods of the internet that want to divide our communities. I warn you please, keep your hands off our communities! There is a better way we can express our problems but not in such an irresponsible, reckless, and uncivilized way.
According to the law, Bor Community has a right to sue anybody who wrote that press release on its behalf. This is not a joke. The editors would be responsible to bring the authors of the press release should Bor Community find out that it has not written such a controversial press release.
This is a message to all the Sudanese online media who have been publishing controversial press releases from unknown and unreliable sources. I am just a concerned member of Bor Community. This is my personal opinion but wait for the official reaction from Bor Community.
* The writer is a Sudanese in Canada and can be reached at
[email protected]