453 said to be killed in Murle-Lou clashes in Jonglei
March 15, 2009 (BOR) – Heavy clashes reported last week between Lou Nuer and Murle communities in rural Jonglei state have resulted in hundreds of casualties but local authorities in Bor Town have declined to comment.
According to Reuters news agency, the commissioner of Pibor County, Akot M. Adikiu, believes that about 453 people have been killed, based on the 200 bodies he had seen and information from chiefs and members from villages. “Many of the deaths are women and children.”
Dinka Bor, Nuer, Jieng, Anyuak, Kachipo and Murle communities in Jonglei State are pastoralists. The communities, many of which are heavily armed, raid each other for cattle, which form an important part of the region’s society and economy. Thousands have been killed in South Sudanese villages yearly despite the country’s north-south peace accord reached in Kenya on January 9, 2005.
But the recent clashes between Lou Nuer and Murle are heavier than usual. Authorities of Jonglei State reported the clashes last Tuesday. That day, Jonglei Governor Kuol Manyang Juuk briefed the President of the Government of Southern Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit on the clashes.
But Adikiu said that attacks began March 5, struck at least 17 villages controlled by the Murle tribe, and lasted until March 13.
The governor said the attack by the Lou-Nuer clan against the Murle tribe was in retaliation to previous attacks against the community by the heavily armed Murle community since January this year. He related that Lou-Nuer fighters had captured the Murle town of Kwangala — the second largest of the Murle community’s administrative headquarters after Pibor town.
Thousands are said to be fleeing the attacks.
(ST)
Kim Deng
453 said to be killed in Murle-Lou clashes in Jonglei
Folks,
The very tiny dirty ugly Murle got what they deserve after the Mighty Naath community waged tough retialation on them (Mure) for the last two weeks.
It is not over yet. Lou-Nuer will come back for occupation not just raid as Murle should expected. Murle ought to know that Mighty Naath ethnic group is not like coward Jaang (Slaves) who can be slaughtered like rats by Murle, but take no retialation toward Murle.
Many countless cattle were taken away including children and young ladies as catives by Mighty Naath community.
It is a matter of days for Mighty Naath community to carry out the same Mut (invasion) against the coward Jaang community within Jonglei State as a payback of the ruthless killed they (Jaang) conducted in January 2009 toward Naath community.
Mr Famous Big_Logic_Boy
453 said to be killed in Murle-Lou clashes in Jonglei
Those people will finish themselves under the poor management of security by dinkas. Let them have changes, their governor must be removed, because he is doing nothing only getting $$$ while lives are under threat. junglese should not be consider to be in power, they are just food lovers, should be decieved with foods and let the right people have the opportunity to rule. South is in poor conditions (visionless) as jungle state, just because of having a wrong person on the top. I think the winner of that conflict will soon get an invitation from dinkas/junglese to buy their girls, because the winners might have won cattle. So you lost and jungle community, if you invite any of murle or nuer to buy your skinny, ugly and fake girls, please don’t turn this into an attack. You deserve food and money so just sell your girls silently and slowly without accusing anyone.
Mr Network
453 said to be killed in Murle-Lou clashes in Jonglei
Animails for food!
You will not progress expect chaos and brutuals killing and of course that is the ignorence from their forefather and are still existing amonga theme
Henry Makuei
453 said to be killed in Murle-Lou clashes in Jonglei
I would like to send the message of condolencies to the famliy of the victims, both waring communities, Jonglei state, south Sudan and Sudan general. for this disaster is not for the family victims and waring communities but for the whole Sudan and Jonglei in particular.
Anyway, this is sad and rediculous to all Sudan and those who are happy for this disaster are not the true patriotics of the Sudan. lossing even one person is a big loss to the intire generation. how can 453 people can be loss in that manner and I am sorry for what hapen and i am wondering aloud how our people will change from brutality to harmony?
I have know opinion to this sad news because it is a routine work to those who like it happen all the time. I don’t know what benefit they deserve? killing, can that make sence. bushefire erupted in Melbourne Australia last month and the government and people of Australia took it as a national disaster and they intervene by helping their people a lot. what about southern Sudanes, what is this news is like? how do they feel? what majors have they taken? are they mourning for this disaster or are they mourning with the crocodile tears? anyway, God will safe us from this mess.
Gatwech
453 said to be killed in Murle-Lou clashes in Jonglei
Lobengula,
While I agree with you that it was very unfortunate and sad to have such a big number of people killed, no matter how the attack was justified because of being retaliatory towards what the Murle heavily armed community did many times to Lou-Nuer.
But please don’t exaggerate things when you relate your stories to Bor Dinka massacre by sub-clan from Lou-Nuer in 1992. It was not correct to say that the whole Nuer community attacked Bor civilians. This is the worst exaggeration I have ever read on this website commentators. Do you really know the size of the whole Nuer community, their territories and the number of their clans. We have more than ten major clans of which Lou-Nuer is just one of them. But I can tell you that those who attacked Bor in 1992 were not even from the whole Lou-Nuer clan. It was just a sub-clan.
Having corrected you even though you deny to be from Bor Dinka, I will still revert to the main topic in question that the killings of 453 people and destruction of 17 Murle villages were unfortunate. This indicates the failure of Jonglei state governor to address the issue of insecurity in his state. The Lou-Nuer frankly warned against such retaliation last month and appealed for SPLA forces to stop the Murle incursions, but the Jonglei state governor, Mr. Kuol Manyang Juuk, responded only last week after he knew that the conflict reached its peak. Juba parliament should summon governor Juuk for negligence and failure to secure and protect the state citizens.
Gatwech
453 said to be killed in Murle-Lou clashes in Jonglei
The Lou-Nuer were provoked by the Murle,
For those of who you do not understand the Nuer culture, it is very rare for a Nuer to launch a fight against somebody unless provoked. The Nuer are also frank and can warn the person or persons provoking him or her before he or she takes retaliatory actions.
We all read from this website in February that the Lou-Nuer community in Juba produced a press release warning the Jonglei state government and the Government of South Sudan to stop the provocative attacks by the Murle community in the areas of Lou-Nuer. These attacks continued from December up to February, the time of the Press release. The Lou-Nuer made it clear to every body, including the Murle that they would retaliate unless the government or the Murle themselves stopped the attacks on the Lou-Nuer community. About 30 people were killed by the Murle during their attacks in Lou-Nuer areas and stole numerous heads of cattle. The Murle took advantage of the fact that the Lou-Nuer were disarmed, but the Murle and the Dinka Bor were not disarmed. This is because of the politics played by Governor Kuol Manyang Juuk who gambles with the lives of Jonglei state citizens.
It was also unfortunate for the Murle community to start attacking the Nuer even when the Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar decided to celebrate Christmas holidays in their midst to comfort show them that the government loved them and wanted the best for them if they disarmed and stop abducting or buying children from the Bor community.
After the Lou-Nuer learnt that their appeal for intervention was not heeded to by the state government and the government of south sudan, and while the attacks were still going on, they decided to defend their community in retaliation. The Nuer are not murderous people. They can even inform you that they are coming after you for revenge so that you get prepared. The Murle learnt about the warning long time ago. Even the children and women killed were mostly in cross fire and thirst. It was not intentional for Lou-Nuer to kill children and women since these are helpless victims.
But since the heavily armed Murle thought they were ready enough to face the Lou-Nuer, they did not dare to evacuate their women and children. The 17 Murle villages which were reported destroyed by the Lou-Nuer are far from each other, and if the Murle could evacuate their women and children when the first village was attacked, there would have been no such casualties. But because they were armed to the teeth, they thought they would resist the Lou-Nuer attacks.
The Nuer are not like the Dinkas. When they see you weak and helpless, they will say “ci wang de cet can” meaning, “he looks with helpless eyes” and will not harm you. But try to abuse your imaginative power and put your fist in the face of the Nuer, you are asking for your doomsday. The Murle are to blame for this unfortunate fighting which destroyed most of their villages and some headquarters.
But as I said earlier, it is very unfortunate indeed that our government allowed these killings to happen. These tribal fighting could have been avoided if the government listened to the Lou-Nuer appeal last month.
Bior-raandu
453 said to be killed in Murle-Lou clashes in Jonglei
I am very sad for the great number our country has lost. Some of you who are tribalist are happy because you never know the output of this deed.
I want just to pass the message to entire communities of Southern Sudan that ” killing ourselves is a great joy to our enemy”. I want to alert you they have already succeeded in their missions if we don’t stop this brutal killing.
My message also goes to those communities who like to be enemies of the other tribes. You have seen the product of revenge, there is no cowward community that cann’t wage a revenge but because of the analysis of product is negative, it prevent them to revenge.
Mind you again, it is not all communities who can analize the outcome of the revenge but few.
You are given money and guns to use on own people by our enemy but you forgot of the outcome.
My condolences to those who lost their lives in that fruitless war.
by the boy whose people like his future.
James Ayuel
453 said to be killed in Murle-Lou clashes in Jonglei
Nuer-lue needs to learn what peace means in this world. Their traumatize uneducated young men should responded to this call were Dinkas are remarkably perceptive about the character of peace and demonstrated similar themes in their art work no matter what kind cultural war they are adopted to, no matter what sub-clans they belong to. Together by doing so, our art becomes a vibrant and colourful gift of understanding to all of us about a ” culture of peace”, depicting the qualities necessary in our societies for human beings to live more productive and harmonious lives instead of struggling in a dangerous, violent and far from peaceful world. Peace is not just the absence of war but an environment in home, community, nation and the world, which enables good physical, mental and spiritual health, harmony in diversity, and productivity in a climate of freedom from poverty and freedom from violence and destruction. Together let us make a Jonglei state a peaceful home of freedom fighter such as Let John Garang, Anyier Apiu, Majok Mac, Peter Panorm Thonypiny, Deng Angwang and Deng Leek, and stop womenly war of killing innocent people.
Gatwech
453 said to be killed in Murle-Lou clashes in Jonglei
Mr. Kuol Manyang Juuk under fire!
Reports from Jonglei state indicate that Mr. Kuol Manyang, the Governor of the ungovernable state, is so desperate to find away out of the insecurity mess and negligence he groomed in the state. Kuol is said to be shaky as the South Sudan Legislative Assembly monitors the situation in Jonglei state and how the governor handled it.
Manyang is very scary of the figure of 453 people reported dead by the Murle commissioner of Pibor County after the one week clashes between the Lou-Nuer clan and Murle tribe as reported in the media. Mr. Kuol is contradicting his commissioner in the number of people killed. The Commissioner of Pibor County has been reporting 453 people killed including women and children. Governor Kuol is reporting only 52 people killed. According to him, 41 are from Lou-Nuer and 11 from Murle. Who is telling the truth between the Governor and the Commissioner?
The funny thing is that Commissioner of Pibor County has been in contact various media outlets telling them the figure of 453 dead, 17 villages destroyed, and asking for massive relief assistance. For those of you who have access to South Sudan Radio, it has been announcing the figure of 453 for the last two days and claimed that it had been in phone contact with the Commissioner, Akot Asidiu, who confirmed the figure. Kuol Manyang has not disputed the figure through the government official radio (South Sudan Radio), but instead he avoided the radio and went to a private UN radio, called Miraya FM to announce his figure of 52 dead.
Who is telling the truth? Is it the Commissioner of the County where the fighting took place, or the governor of the state? Well, Commissioner may exaggerate the figure so as to get much attention and assistance for his county. He may not have told the truth. Also, Mr. Kuol Manyang is very scary of the figure as this would cause him problems with the parliament. He may think that the Murle or any other members of parliament may raise a motion in parliament summoning the governor to explain how this disaster occured under his watch. He wants to make sure that the figures are much smaller and not to sound like the Murle were massacred.
Well, what the governor did not know is that even a single life is too many. While he is busy trying to adjust the number of the dead people in his failed state, he should also get prepared to appear before the parliament. Al-Bashir’s tactic in Darfur will not work when the world said 300,000 people were killed in Darfur while Al-Bashir says it is only 10,000 dead. There is no difference between one life lost and 10 lives lost. So, Mr. Governor Kuol, we are not interested in adjusting the number of the dead in your office. It doesn’t change the reality on the ground. Also try to convince your Commissioner of Pibor county so that you both agree on a certain number killed. He has told radios, newspapars and even electronic media houses that the number of people killed in his county was 453, 17 villages destroyed and thousands displaced. He even said he saw almost 200 dead bodies with his own eyes plus other reports from chiefs in his villages. So, who is lying between you. Oh, common Jonglei state. How come God cursed you with leaders who are determined to lie their citizens!
J.James
453 said to be killed in Murle-Lou clashes in Jonglei
Hi folks!
Blind monkeys like Kim Deng may laugh in belief that 453 Murle have died but he don’t know that his weak Lou Nuer was taught a lession that they may not forget for their entire lives.
Please Mr. Kim Deng call home and find out if all your cousins has gone home in peace. Remember, when you sneak into the lion niche, there is normally a price to pay and indeed your uncles will tell you more about that or the 53 Lou Nuer who surrendered like women to Murle in Lekwangole will tell you how resky is it to be in man;s land without permission.
Know that, Murle land is not like Equatoria land.
More of all, you have open the way for Titi and Bothonya generations who love to fight more than ever, the way to teach you the all of this year till you will move to wad. Please read my lips good. Though 10,000 Lou Nuer came to Murle, only Kongor, Tangnyang and Nyergany Villages got them well. Please feel free to send more with brand new guns we need them back. Am serious.
Enjoy the news nigger.
God bless
The writer has just protected his cattle from Kim Deng uncles.