Jonglei’s Murle traders move into Bor in a display of peace
By Philip Thon Aleu
June 18, 2008 (BOR TOWN) – Traders dealing in cattle from Pibor County make a surprise appearance here today Thursday breaking a deadlock to formulate peaceful co-existence between Murle and Bor Communities of Jonglei State since peace returned in 2005.
Businessmen from Greater Bor Counties have been enjoying “uncompetitive” market in Pibor area, Sudan Tribune has learnt.
The group of twelve (12) men, matching one hundred (100) bulls told Sudan Tribune “the road to Bor has been so peaceful not as anticipated.” Some traders from Bor Community say they have been moving to Pibor since January, 2008 and met not hatred either but benefit from what they call “uncompetitive market in Pibor.”
The excited cattle dealers however, fear Jonglei capital – Bor Town may not be a good market. “How long do you think it will take us to have them (bulls) bought?” asked James Jiget who said it took them two days to reach here.
None of the cattle dealers here (Bor Town) was obtainable to give Mr. Jiget an outright answer but analysis says “Murle trading with Bor is better than profit for it shows restoration of peace.”
Murle cattle traders suspended operation in Bor following the failure of 2004 peace deal reached since the stoppage of smooth relationship during the two decades south-north civil wars.
Child abduction, cattle theft and raiding; marred by indiscriminative causalities rocked the last four years. In November, 2007 unidentified mobs smashed four Murle tribesmen in Bor Civil hospital following cattle raiding – allegedly by Murle gangs in Baidit Payam, Bor County where thirty nine (39) Bor citizens where killed.
In respond, Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) interchanged Brig. Philip Thon Leek with Gen. Kuol Manyang Juuk at the State top-most position in an effort to quell such insurgencies. Since then, child abduction, cattle raiding and theft drastically declined.
DISARMAMENT OUTCOME
The movement of cattle traders has been attributed to the recent government decree to disarm civil population ‘no matter how much it cost.’
“This is self destruction. We shall disarm them,” Governor kuol Manyang Juuk told a press briefing two weeks ago.
According to Gen. Manyang, the littering guns in the hands of civilians are the primary stumbling block to progress and development in the State.
The Governor predicts prosperity and flourishing of trade thereafter. People in the streets commended traders’ movement as an outcome of disarmament.
“If they (Murle) never heard of full scale disarmament, they won’t have come,” said Bol Apec told Sudan Tribune when asked to commend.
“HOSPITALITY”
At the centre of the town, the traders were welcomed with open arms by town residents.
“There is a good hospitality. We never expected this as I told you earlier,” Mr. Jiget, who spoke in “Juba Arabic” responded to a question asked about how they were received in Bor Town.
(ST)