GOSS must disarm all the civilians in South Sudan

By Deng Dominic

May 21, 2008 — The people of Southern Sudan and the marginalize Sudanese have made some glorious sacrifices since last two decades. They fought diligently in order to be free and possess all rights, a right to be protected by the government and a right for a citizen to pledge his/her allegiant to own nation. The Government of Southern Sudan needs to allocate some resources and manpower to protect the citizens. The recent counterattack launched by the Lou Nuer on May 16th 2008, toward the people of Duk community, which claimed the innocents’ lives, is a clear failure from the Government to disarm.

In this regard, I am appealing to the President of the Southern Sudan, and the Vice President for the Republic of the Sudan, His Excellency Salva Kiir Mayardit, Vice President for the people of Southern Sudan, Dr. Riak Machar, The Cabinet members of the GOSS, The Governor of the State of Jonglei, Mr. Kuol Manyang Juuk, All the Ministers and Diplomats in the Greater State of Jonglei, The Commissioners and Local Chiefs. The issue of insecurity in the State of Jonglei is brutal and it needs to be placed into the graveyard. The GOSS must work extra hours to eliminate the guns from the civilians for the security purposes however these crises may turn into tribal ethnic cleansing like what happened in Rwanda between Hutus and Tutsi. It important to disarm all the civilians before is too late.

The moral obligations of all sovereign governments compel their leadership must provide bold security in order to protect all the citizens from any internal or foreign violent intervention. Up to this moment, the Government of Southern Sudan should have some capabilities to make rules and regulations that govern the exercise of coercive violence. It has already been three years since the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed; yet there is no absolute change in terms of security policies. The civilians are enduring some very dramatic attacks; numerous lives are lost daily across the nation. It is important for the Government of Southern Sudan to disarm those civilians who harbor weapons within the ten States of Southern Sudan and put those weapons in the hands of those designated and determined to defend the innocent and uphold the just guard of peace for our nation. The random ownership of these weapons by untrained and unlicensed civilians has made the State of Jonglei number one for brutal crimes and it need to be put to an end.

However, the prevalence of anarchy in the State of Jonglei is a clear failure by the Government to disarm and defend its people. It the responsibility for the State Government and the GOSS to disarm all the constituencies under their jurisdictions in order to save those innocents lives and to maintain peace and harmony. Furthermore, the GOSS must urge the state Governors, especially the Governor of Jonglei, to collect all mechanical weapons by whatsoever means. And the armed citizens must register their firearms with the State Government otherwise the illegal guns bearers will be considered as enemies for peace. This will help to reduce the death rate that has been skyrocketing for decades in Jonglei.

For stability in the state, I therefore appeal to the Governor of the State of Jonglei, Mr. Kuol Manyang, under his mandated authority and leadership, deploy the state police to rescue a people longing for prosperity, take control of this unacceptable situation and restore a sustaining hope within and around the borders. The possession of guns by civilians would be thought irrelevant at this moment if the CPA would work effectively. The deployment of the State Police near the border will help to monitor and discourage the random attacks that would otherwise prompt the intervention of amateur militias or worse, other organized enemies of peace.

Hereafter, the puzzles of the insecurity in the state have led to some outrageous outcomes because the government of the state is not doing enough to disarm the communities that are still holding fast to their firearms in order to ensure their own personal prowess, threatening their neighbors and contributing to an alarming statistic of undocumented arms. It must be emphasized, however, these tragedies that have cost too many lives which can only be blamed on the State and the GOSS for lacking the transparency and courtesy to disarm and defend the hostile communities such as Lou Nuer. Perhaps, if the State or the Government of Southern Sudan fails for some reasons to address the Lou Nuer aggression, then it will not be a illogical to predict that the people of the Duk community may rearm themselves as well and retaliate in self defense or an anger fueled by too many injustices that are not even reveal.

Without fail, in the summer season of every year, the civilians of Duk community have lost too many innocent lives as the result of violent Lou Nuer individuals who pass through while searching for the green pasture and leave behind them pools of blood. Moreover, if the
Lou Nuer comes to believe that this particular Toich, which belongs to the people of Duk community, is truly important to them and their livestock, then they must abandon the brutal ways of violence and embrace a spirit of diplomatic trust.

The best start for the Lou Nuer would be a show of compliance to some preconditions before returning next summer. With the help from the State Government and the GOSS, these communities should find common ground of the heart before coming to the common ground where these two communities must coexist each year. Neither side must not be hard-pressed to seek peaceful resolution to their disputes because the ill entry and return of certain Lou had not been as peaceful as expected and will not be peaceful if the same conflicts arise again each year.

The chiefs from both communities had signed some verbal agreements in the past in order for Lou Nuer to have excess to Toich with some conditions. However the Lou Nuer have violated and dishonored those accords by killing women, children and the elderly not to mention looting. Every year, innocent citizens of Duk community die as a result from Lou Nuer counterattacks.

Their methods and credo is unknown and what is propelling them to commit atrocities year by year has yet to be determined in a society where the voice of unrest is silent. This undeclared aggression leads many to wonder whether Lou Nuer are the proxy agents of the Khartoum sent to destabilize the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Whatsoever their motive may be; the Lou Nuer have not declared any official goals. And since they do not know what they are doing I urged them to retrace their footsteps, recall all the scandals they have committed since last four decades toward the innocent people of Duk community in the awe of mourning and not with an indifferent or barbaric air.

The people of Duk community must seek a peaceful coexistence between themselves. Hence, the Lou Nuer and other tribes harboring those of ill will who think that the stealing of cattle and murder is somehow acceptable must choose own destiny. This brutal and uncivilized behavior must be relinquished in order to live side by side in a shared prosperity. Although their close neighbors such as Anyuak, Gawar, Murle, and Dinka perceived them (the Lou Nuer) as shortsighted, reckless and an irresponsible war loving community, I believe they will come to the logical conclusion and adapt to the world of socialization and harmony. The citizens of Duk community had withstood the irrational behaviors of Lou Nuer for centuries but we cannot stand their sick behavior any more. The Lou Nuer community must step out of the political shadows and offer the members of Duk community a big apology in reference to their poor performance of brotherly love, which stolen away cattle and has needlessly taken many wonderful people from this world for years.

The marginalized People from the nine States of Southern Sudan are in
a state of jubilee on hearing of the recent emancipation, but the citizens of Jonglei State are desperately searching for safe haven. If the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was meant to set the civilians free from holding on to these unregistered weapons, henceforth the Government must make double-haste to disarm those civilians. It is important for the government to recall those guns before the trigger-happy raiders spark all out genocide. The GOSS must do more in order to bring this tense matter to an end by disarming all the tribes. Also the Government of Southern Sudan should work hand in hand with the States Governors and local chiefs to utilize any possible means to disarm the Lou Nuer and other communities that employ their firearms for the cause of greed and bloodshed.

The inability for the GOSS to disarm and protect the innocent lives is clear failure to lead the Southerners into the manifested destination where they will decide their fate. A legitimate government cares for the security of the citizens otherwise it may be considered as a dictator. The GOSS must stabilize security within the ten States of Southern Sudan. All the citizens deserve protections from the government; their lives are in the hand of the government.

The Commissioner of Duk County has terribly failed to justify and disclose the war causalities to the GOSS, and this make the matter worse. Mr. Commissioner has also did not fulfill his the roles and obligations of being a Commissioner in many serials. In my next article, I will disclose his affiliations, achievements and failures during his tenure. Again, the GOSS must disarm all the civilians.

The author is the member of Duk Community and can be reach at: [email protected]