Jonglei State: Murle leaders fail to Condemn violence
By John Nhial
December 31, 2007 — I have been waiting for months to hear Murle leaders condemn
perpetrators who have killed hundreds of innocent civilians, abducted
over two hundred children, and looted tens of thousands head of cattle
in Bor and Akobo Counties within the year of 2007. Murle militia
stepped up its attacks against Lou Nuer, Anuak, and Dinka Bor
communities in Jonglei after Southern Sudan Disarmament,
Demobilization, and Reintegration Commission (SSDDRC) suspended its
disarmament process due to rainy season leaving Murle militia with
dangerous weapons which led to pernicious attack against civilians.
Murle has attacked Bor, Anuak, and Lou Nuer several times; yet none of
the Murle leaders in the GOSS or in the government of Jonglei state
has came out and condemn the carnage and slaughtering being committed
by their constituents against the disarmed communities. Instead, Murle
leaders seem to abet the perpetrators by being in state of quiescence
and inactiveness trying to distance themselves from attackers. About
four weeks ago, Murle attacked Bor county and killed dozens people and
looted more than seven thousands head of cattle. Murle militias who
were wounded in this attack on Bor County were admitted to Bor
hospital where they were killed by angry and vengeful mobs. These
wounded militias in Bor hospital were the attackers who have killed
dozens people in Bor, but as peace loving people who like to coexist
peacefully with their brothers and neighbors in the state, Bor
citizens and leaders, including the new governor, H.E. Kuol Manyang
Juuk strongly condemned mobs for killing Murle patients . Murle
leaders are cognizant of atrocities being committed by their kinsmen;
but they are not acting in good faith to stop the fighting from
escalating. Murle leaders are culpable for deteriorating in Jonglei
and must be held accountable for the abduction of children and the
killing of many civilians in area.
In July of 2007, Murle attacked Akobo and killed dozens of people and
looted hundreds head of cattle; this attack led Lou Nuer to hit back
to recover their looted properties. The fight resulted in a bloodbath
in which 56 people from both sides were killed. Nuer?s attack on Murle
made the headline which victimized Lou Nuer who was only waging a
defensive war against Murle militia. Lou Nuer leaders condemned their
citizens for ?an eye for an eye.? I believe Lou Nuer?s reaction was
not an act of retaliation, but a result of anger that has accrued for
many years of Murle attacks against civilian in Akobo. Even after this
massacre in July, Murle still attack Akobo and Nuer has been refrained
from vengeance for a peaceful conflict resolution although they are
still being attacked, but our brothers in Pibor do not want to end the
killing.
Many people claim that the deliberate killing in Bor and Akobo is a
result of poverty, but I believe indigence and illiteracy should not
be used as an excuse of killing another person. I know some of the
readers will not agree with me, but the current tribal conflict
between communities in Jonglei is being ignited by some of the
intellectuals from Murle community and they would like to see it
conflagrates into a full scale war between their neighbors. For
instance, in Murle letter to President Kiir (dated 23/11/2007)
regarding insecurity in Jonglei, Murle leaders and intellectuals
including the current member of Jonglei Interim State Legislative
Assembly Guzule Yar Korok signed a letter calling Dinka Bor and Nuer
?Criminals and tribalist,? and that Murle ?has not abducted any child
or looted cattle in Jonglei.? This is a very strong and clear
indication that Murle leaders and intellectuals are abetting their
kinsmen?s destruction actions against Nuer, Bor, and Anuak. Murle
leaders? skulduggery in tribal conflict is becoming very palpable to
all the citizens of Jonglei and Southern Sudanese in general and I
thanks Dinka Bor, Anuak, and Nuer communities for refraining from
escalating the tribal war.
Not all Murles attack Nuer, Bor, and Anuak communities, but Murle
leaders have failed to differentiate bad Murles from good Murles. Bor,
Nuer, and Anuak citizens are now like many people who fail to
differentiate good Muslims from extremists. Of course there are good
Murles who want to live in peace with Dinka Bor, Nuer, and Anuak, but
it is a responsibility of Murle leaders to make peace loving Murles
visible in order to avoid risk of oversimplifying and generalizing
Murle tribe.
Nothing would really stop either Nuer or Dinka Bor from waging an
extinct or a pernicious attack against Murle, but the majority of
these tribes, including the author of this article whose properties
have been looted, relatives killed, and abducted by Murle strongly
refuse any retaliation language against Murle people and hopes that
starting tomorrow, 2008 onward, there will peace among communities in
Jonglei state. It is a duty for all the citizens of Jonglei and
Southern Sudanese in general to attune themselves to live in
tranquility and build mutual relationships which will speed up the
development in our country.
The author is an undergraduate student at Gonzaga University and can
be reached at [email protected]
James James
Jonglei State: Murle leaders fail to Condemn violence
Mr. John Nhial
Your article deserve no reading or reply because it is so vague, contradictory and meaningless in nature of its design.
I failed to understand in the world whether you are trying to united Nuer, Anyuak with Bor to wage extinct and pernicious war against Murle as you put it or you are trying to preach peace, why don’t you be specific and to the point of your interest for God’s sake ?
First of all, which Bor leader has come forward to condemn Bor criminals who took Murle cows in Gumba Juba, amushed SPLA pickup truck where 4 people died include one from Bari, hijack lorry form Pibor late Fbruary wehere 4 people were also killed include one from Anyuak,? who condemn or even arrest those Bor crimainals who attack and flogged Murle women in Bortown market where in that very incident one Murle executive director was also beaten and striped before he was send home bar feet.
Yet you lied that, those who were killed in hospital were people who got wounded in that very war, who transported tham to hospital, Is MSF become red Cross in southern Sudan ? could bullet wound turn into TB gland or stomachach ?
In continuation of your lies, still there are billions of rotten claims I can see here within your limbing article there, everybody in all southern sudan knows that, Murle had been disarmed, when Salva Kiir went ot Pibor last April, it was shown on Tv all across Juba that, Kiir was there to witness collection of guns in Pibor store, whom do you think can listen your lies now ?
If we don’t fear God sometimes, how can Murle steal 200 children and I came to hear only two who are claim to be abducted in November ? Please stop lies, as far as I know, these 200 hundred children you people are talking about are not real children but mere figures from Thon Leek calculator and you don’t need to bother us for nothing guys.
However,I regret that, people of Jongolei will not get permenant peace till we refrain from such kind of make ups. So let work for peace together than deliberately creating more problems.
God bless.
Perfecto
Jonglei State: Murle leaders fail to Condemn violence
James James,
Why are you using profane language here ? Are you weak enough to defend your position? Remember, whatever you said will be taken literally taken used against your own people. How would you feel if somebody come and attack your family, killing your parents and loot cattle? The article above is pointing out the inaction of Murle leaders and there is no need for you to attack the author. The items he listed in his article are true and Murle leaders want to take it seriously that, the action of a few will greatly affect the whole Murle if they do not stop raiding and abduction of other children and property.
I believe you are not working in the interest of Murle people because inflaming the conflict will result into bad consequences which will affect the whole Murle. Do you not want to anger a person twice. Dinka and Nuer have been killed by Murle and you do not want to add gass into because that anger will burst into destructive flame. So remember that.
Happy New Year to James
Perfecto
J Baba
Jonglei State: Murle leaders fail to Condemn violence
John Nhial
Infact i can’t understand what you guys after when you always talk against Murle people your own brothers in the same country and state as well.What i want you to remeber is that Dinka Bor by themselves have done alot of actrocities to Murle people in the past and even in the present and yet no body condenm them.Your own leaders whether from the military,politcal or even civil sectors remained onlookers and even play indirect role over the crisis.How many times your people committed a crime against Murle on the road to Juba,which resulted in killing of three murle SPLA soldiers and several cows were looted? What have you done to those who committed such heinous crime including the recent rampage of patients at MSF compound,which also resulted in the death of four murles whom you claimed as victims from the conflict?
If you term murle as perpetrators,how do we term those perpetrators who shamelessly killed or slaughtered patients in hospital,are they not the greatest criminals? please,before you pass critism on others,try to check yourselves first,come out clean from from crime and then say the word to others.Stop creating fall statements hoping that the south Sudanese communities may listen to it and support your compaign against murle.That will never happen my brothers instead you just fuel up the crisis.
I also want to know how and where did you get that figure of upto 200 abducted children during the cost of just last year 2007? How do you think these children are abducted? were they orphans or they were in the desert without people taking care of them? If these 200 children were abducted in the present of their parents then how many lost of lives in defense against an enermy through out those series of events in Jongklei State? Why you always pose or talk about abduction,killing and cattle raiding without proper justification? Why don’t you come up with something clear as proof to what murle have done to you instead of pretext?
Reply this article
James James
Jonglei State: Murle leaders fail to Condemn violence
Telling truth sometimes is so fearsome like knife to the goat’s neck, in fact my reply is still up there and I don’t think I had said anything wrong to the writer at all, if I didn’t lose my mind, I believe I had complemented him from the beginning, so at this point, I don’t remember where an attack came about. all I said was for the both sides to condemn crimes committed by their respective gangs.
Is condemnation issued as a token for Murle only ? the obvious answer of course should no.
Ultimately, John Nhail appeared alone to be a person who failed to reveal his original color in terms, he didn’t want to talk about bor Murle problems, he instead run here and there touching Nuer and Anyuak communities which I believe are more capable than Bor to address their own problems, I am deeply confuse if that will help Bor community at all.
The best thing as I said everyday is to forget the past and begin resuming new peace initiative then pulling untied ropes. Nuer and Anyuak will never united with Bor against Murle at all because what Bor did to Nuer and Anyuak in the past is still shinning in Nuer and Anyuak hearts leave alone about cows.
Nhial, please you better think where you should invest your money you have stolen from GOSS than employing yourself on doom facilities.
God bless and forgive Bor from their sins.