INTERVIEW: Chief Dut insists on Rumbek youth to ease local feuding

By Manyang Mayom

April 18, 2009 (RUMBEK) — The predominant Dinka chief, Dut Malual
Arop, has encouraged local youth in Lakes State to reconcile, saying
that the high rise of insecurity in Lakes state is a part of the civil
war that broke out in Southern Sudan leaving AK-47 guns in the hands
of every individual in South Sudan.

He urges SPLM leadership to confront insecurity in Lakes state in a very diplomatic path that will not harm any civilians

“Arab government armed their militias in Khartoum to fight Southerner
cattle pastoralists. In their respective cattle camps, therefore, also
SPLA high commanders decided to arm their pastoralists in order to
protect their cows from raiders of militias being backed up by Sudan
Armed Forces (SAF) during the 22 years war,” said Chief Dut at his
residence in Rumbek on Friday in an interview with Sudan Tribune.

But the chief also blamed the government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) for
undermining the powers of local traditional chiefs and for a serious
breakdown of communication linking chiefs with government.

Dut characterized the rule of the British colonial government as good,
saying that all traditional chiefs were exercising their powers
accordingly. But now with the present Arab regime in Khartoum and GOSS
in South Sudan, all powers invested in local traditional authority
have become powerless, he said.

“I expect the New Sudan will be better if all constitutional rights
are respected by government” affirmed Chief Dut.

Nevertheless, Dut called upon youth of Southern Sudan to lessen their
local grievances and ensured youth to make way forward to New Sudan.

In order to cut insecurity in Lakes state territories, the government
officials should also first abandon the practice of supporting their
local youth and act as an independent government, he said. They should
start uniform disarmament that does not favor those cattle keeper
person with relationships with those in high-ranking authority in
government; this disarmament should be carried out in a peaceful way,
causing neither more abuse of citizens nor deadly harassments between
soldiers and cattle rustlers.

However, government officials should also acknowledge their weak
points instead of putting more insult to her citizens while general
election are at the door, noted the chief.

On April 15, raiders from the Apaak Dinka clan in Lakes state
unexpectedly clashed with the Ciec clan which had only recently
reconciled with them, resulting in 13 dead and nine wounded.
Insecurity continues to plague the state even after the 2005 peace
agreement.

(ST)