Border pastoralists reach consensus on development, small arms, grazing
November 16, 2008 (AWEIL) – Two neighboring communities which seasonally share grazing areas have nominally reached an agreement on problems wrought between them by the 22-year north-south civil war.
The Dinka Malual and Misseriya Al Humur of Al Fiyareen and Awlad Kamil live close to the border between Northern and Southern Sudan and some migrate seasonally across the border.
Amir Harika Osman, Amir Ismail M. Yousif, Chief Makuac Makuac Kuol and Chief Acien Acien Yor signed a statement Friday after four days of “grassroots” dialogue and consultations.
“This is a great achievement by our community’s leaders, women and youth,” said Sabrino Majok Majok, leader of the Aweil Community in Canada.
The joint communiqué purports to be more than a mere symbol of north-south co-existence, making some concrete recommendations for equitable distribution of land and water points, return of abductees and shared development.
The chiefs recommended establishing mobile veterinary clinics to accompany the pastoralists, improving and restoring the rail link between Babanusa and Wau, dredging the channel of the River Kiir (El jerf) to restore normal flow of the water, and establishing hafirs, dams and water pumps in this area.
Other measures included demarcation of movement routes every year as early as possible, before the beginning of the migration season into Dinka grazing land, and introduction of crops like rice in Aweil and dukhun, kerkade or groundnuts in Meiram and Muglad.
The main compromise was that the Messiriya pastoralists are to enter Northern Bahr El Ghazal without carrying firearms and their entrance into Dinka land is limited to grazing rights, and does not constitute ownership.
Community leaders agreed on six resolutions on the return of abducted women and children. “The conference affirms that this problem is as a result of the war in the Sudan and appreciates the role of the national institutions, especially CEAWC, to control this practice,” said the communiqué, referring to the Centre for the Eradication of the Abduction of Women and Children (CEWAC).
“There are around 35,000 women and children still away, all over Sudan,” said CEAWC leader James Aguer on Thursday.
The final communiqué urged several foreign governments and international organizations “to timely respond to our needs to empowerment of our traditional authority, local government and priorities of our local development and support our desire to live as good neighborliness and people of common destiny.”
The Misseriya and Dinka Malual delegates recommended creating a native administration, which is a system introduced by the British colonial government that was gradually dismantled or undercut by external forces during civil wars.
The conference recommended that the native administration be empowered to maintain security and rule of law and to “maintain social texture and rejuvenation of the traditional alliances and nourish the spirit of natural love and respect.”
Under this arrangement, the tribes would form joint native courts with wide powers to look into common customary laws and prevent stealing of livestock and properties.
Finally, the native administration would work with CEAWC to return abductees and would “secure the ways for the voluntary return of displaced persons and refugees returning to Northern Bahr El Ghazal State,” according to the communiqué.
The Dinka Malual – Messiriya Grassroots Peace Conference was originally scheduled to take place in mid-October. Ninety delegates from each Dinka Malual and Misseriya were invited, as well as several from bordering state governments and communities.
(ST)