Toposa MP calls for disarmament in South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria
By Isaac Vuni
July 22, 2007 (JUBA) — A member of parliament from the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly has urged to disarm simultaneously Eastern equatorial tribes in order to create conductive environment for peace and coexistence between the different communities in the region.
Michael Losike Lokerui, who is a Toposa MP, appealed upon to both Southern Sudan government and government of Eastern Equatoria state to organize a conference for disarmament of Toposa, Didinga, Buya, Otuho, Murle including bordering countries of Kenya and Uganda so that a simultaneous disarmament programme is drawn than disarming only one community who will definitely be place at danger of others.
He also urged all Didinga in Diasporas to refrain from provoking conflict through internet communication and rather to come home and see things for themselves and how they could help their people, Goss and state governments with reconstruction and development of south Sudan as a new nation.
“Please, come let’s join hands with other communities so that we search for durable and lasting peace in the whole of Eastern Equatoria State, pleaded Hon. Michael Losike Lokerui.”
However, the Toposa MP expressed regrets for the tragic killing of the Didinga pledging to cooperate in the investigation bringing to justice those responsible for the crime.
“We sincerely regretted the unfortunate killing of 54 of our brothers and sisters from Didinga with whom we are sharing the same part of Eastern Equatoria State of southern Sudan. Therefore, we the peace loving Toposa elders will cooperate in the investigation and to ensure that those who killed these innocent women are brought to face justice” said MP Michael Losike Lokerui.
Lokerui disclosed to Sudan Tribune that Toposa elders have conducted their investigation on the killing and also among Didinga communities with whom Toposa had been living peacefully for the last nine years and found out that the entire Didinga grassroots people are peace loving and does not want to creates any conflict with Toposa .
A panel from the southern Sudan lawmakers and some Southern Sudan official travelled in the beginning of last June to eastern Equatoria to investigate the killing of 54 people from Budi County by Toposa gunmen last May.
The lawmaker said their investigation however, revealed that, of recent, some clique of Didinga intellectuals are the one instigating such conflict for their personal and political interests that resulted to killing of 54 innocent Didinga including 48 women.
We Toposa really wondered why Didinga intellectuals, especially those in exile instigating and advocating for evacuation of Toposa from Losolia -New site which belong to Toposa of Kapoeta East county, Nadapal and Morupus also belong to Toposa of Kapoeta East county, Kabekenyang of Kapoeta south county including Kabekenyang of Kapoeta East and Nakapel village bordering Kapoeta East and south Counties, lamented Hon. Lokerui.
Hon. Lokerui says it was unfair for Didinga Intellectuals claim those areas because they Didinga Intellectuals cannot change borders and history of the land simply because they acquired education more than Toposa community. Instead we whom Didinga intellectuals termed as illiterate are expecting from the so called highly educated sons and daughters from Didinga to make good use of their intellectual abilities to improving our living standard since they Didinga intellectuals have seen what is taking place in countries of their asylum than creating destructions among expectances people of Eastern Equatoria state.
Responding to new stories on Budi County, Southern Sudan published by Juba Post weekly paper and Khartoum monitor daily Newspaper on page seven of volume six issue numbers 1273 of July 2nd 2007, after consultations and meeting with Toposa chiefs, today, MP Lokerui outlined the historical background of lands Toposa people have generously given to Didinga people thus;
The Losollia also known as Nakwatom (meaning elephant zoo in Toposa language) is villages of Toposa since 1718 who called it Ngilogir to the preset including Losolia hill named by Toposa.
The lawmaker further explained that some sections of Toposa in Ngitewus are called Ngilogir while other are called Ngipalakal.
The honorable went on disclosing that some original places of Toposa were later left for Didinga people to live in order to cultivate harmony with them and that places such as Npeikar now renamed as news-cush, Lotukei also known as Kangutukoi in Toposa (meaning Zebra zoo) was left for Didinga since 1789.
Morukoyen is a long hill; Lokali is a place where Toposa collects thorns from for their cattle. Kangatubae was then a feasting place for the entire community but Didinga have renamed it Ngatuba meanwhile Lodot, is a designated dancing place for Toposa’s young men who often seeks to choose their girlfriends for future partners yet it was also left for Didinga people.
Hon. Lokerui adds that Nasilani was popularly known as a place for solving disputes and reconciliation among Toposa communities since 1791 but when Didinga people came from Minieng (Lodimok) through Lango area of Seretenya in 1799 and settled at a place called Napeiyesaei later to Chukudum because Toposa allowed them to occupied the whole hills as their brothers and sisters, besides Didinga are good farmers. Hence, prompting Toposa to come down from hill top for cultivation together with Didinga and such friendship are followed with frequent exchange of visits.
From 1801 Toposa continue visiting Didinga and also exchange tobacco with goats. In 1805 Toposa decided to grace together with Didinga and in 1806 five big villages of Buno Toposa migrated to Didinga area because of famine and remains at Lotuke area to the present, recalled Hon. Lokerui.
Since then Didinga villagers have always lives a normal life with Toposa but late some Didinga intellectuals decided to instigate their villagers to continue kidnapping and killing of Toposa people while refusing to accept peace and reconciliation deal that was initiated in 1987, claim the lawmaker.
At his regard we the elders call upon our brothers and sisters from Didinga intellectuals to advocate for peace among their communities and to embrace reconciliation and unity than creating conflict among our grassroots communities; otherwise, revenge and counter revenge will finish our population, he advised.
(ST)