Governor Malong says security good in N. Bahr-El-Ghazal

By Manyang Mayom

May 15, 2009 (WAU) – Governor Paul Malong Awan Anei, a former
operations commander who headed the SPLA war effort in Northern
Bahr-El-Ghazal state for 13 years during the civil war between the
northern government and the southern former rebels, highlighted in an
interview that the state faces no insecurity from inter-clan or
inter-tribal conflict, but only the tensions from ongoing interaction
with the formerly hostile Misseriya Arabs.

In an interview with Sudan Tribune held last week on May 6, 2009 at
his residence at Warawar village of Abiem payam in the eastern part of
Aweil County, Governor Paul Malong Awan emphasized that Northern
Bhar-El-Gazal state was simply sometimes disturbed by the Misseriya
ethnic group but that peace had helped both sides.

The governor highlighted difficulties in educating the state’s
children, but pointed to progress in development of infrastructure and
agriculture.

Malong was born in Southern Sudan and became a victorious field
commander in the Anya-anya-2 insurgency, which preceded the rise of
the SPLA, before being promoted into the ranks of SPLA as a
Major-General. On March 25, 2008 he was also appointed as Northern
Bahr-El-Ghazal state governor replacing former governor Madut Biar
Yel.

The SPLM/A put the footbrake on their rebellion when they signed the
Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in early 2005 in Nairobi. Despite
the agreement, insecurity in some states of South Sudan has still been
high since that time. Northern Bahr-El-Ghazal, however, is not among
those states, according to Governor Malong.

INSECURITY

“Insecurity was my homework when I heard the rumour of my appointment
clicking around the watch of South Sudan’s president; I spent four
days in power as state governor and immediately I definitely began to
open the Misseriya border of South Kordofan with Northern
Bahr-El-Ghazal state civilians and then peace has multiplied in they
state and business surely continues normally,” said Malong.

April and November are typically bad months in Northern Bahr-El-Ghazal
state because of tensions with the nomadic Misseriya. Seasonal
Misseriya migrations southward into Dinka-inhabited lands are a
longstanding part of the economic and social balance of the region,
which however was massively disrupted during the 22-year civil war.

“I have controlled this area of Northern Bahr-El-Ghazal region for 13
years when we were fighting with our former enemy the Arabs and
actually I have experience of this people on how they behave; I was a
military man before my community requested me to become a state
governor to save them in rule of law,” he said.

According to the official, “Northern Bahr-El-Ghazal state since the
signing of the CPA did not witness any inter-clan or inter-tribal
clashes but Misseriya is only our deal.”

“I am the property of they people, ever since I came into politics. I
do give a right priority to the citizens because they do have that
right to express themselves equally,” said Malong. “There is no more
local quarrelling because already state local government has provided
to deploy police forces to maintain law and order in the entire state
territory.”

Northern Bahr-El-Ghazal state during the civil war had undergone a lot
of difficulties from the government of Khartoum through hostilities of
Arab Maralin militias being backed up by the Sudan Armed forces (SAF).

EDUCATION

There are complex challenges facing education in Aweil, the capital
state of Northern Bahr-El-Ghazal, said Malong. “We have over 53
primary schools and 7 senior secondary schools and the most
challenging is the issue of how to get quality teachers who can
actually teach at all levels of educations in this state.”

Students at the one class level usually have taught new classmates
what they know, said Governor Malong. He also added that the state
government has now put education at the head of its agenda as a key
resolution to be undertaken.

The governor also pointed to the issue of differences between northern
and southern educators’ syllabi and curricula, because Khartoum uses
Sudanese syllabi and South Sudan uses East African syllabi which have
actually brought a big gap between students in the two regions.

“The Government of Southern Sudan has just adopted a new curriculum
but still there are a few difficulties for it to be put into
practice,” he said.

In Northern Bahr-El-Ghazal, the majority of pupils are taught under
huge trees rather than classrooms, which have yet to be constructed.
As to girls’ education, enrolment has been hit by early marriages as
well as the practice of forced marriage, which the state government
purports to be engaged in trying to change.

DEVELOPMENT IN AWEIL

Thirteen state government officials including sultans and one woman
have opened a great private garden in Aweil in the eastern part of the
state. The private farm is managed by Governor Malong, Brig. Gregory
Vasili, late Ajou Garang Deng, Sultan Tem Kuec, Deputy Governor
Arkanjelo Athian, Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) former finance
minister Arthur Akuien Chol, Sultan Nyal Chan, H.E. Tong Atak, Deng
Wol, Naphtha Ayak, Yel Muoryom and Manut Yel Lual.

According to private farm member Brigadier Gregory Vasili, “we have
just created this farm to strengthen food security here in Northern
Bahr-El-Ghazal state — there is no way for all of us to base our life
on government funds… This is now a right way for the public to
envision working hard in their own private garden farm because
government money will not accommodate us daily.”

Northern Bahr-El-Ghazal state is rushing into development after
recovering from the Misseriya conflict. Lengthened roads within Aweil
town are connected with electricity in the market and private
companies own their own local generators for electricity.

“We have 71 tractors that will cultivate the farm. GOSS has provided
us with 7 tractors and 20 tractors are personally owned as well as 44
tractors are state government-owned of which every citizen inhabiting
Northern Bahr-El-Ghazal state has a right to access for his/her farm
cultivation,” said Malong.

Recalling the civil war period when the Sudan Armed Forced was
ordering civilians to hand carry latrine waste to the jungle, Malong
said that civilians are no longer forced into this but nowadays Aweil
town has completely developed whereby waste products are not taken
away again by hands.

“After SPLM took over the state in conjunction with the Comprehensive
Peace agreement (CPA), the state has become calm from local military
harassment and peace has prevail in the five counties of Northern
Bahr-El-Ghazal state as well as the 41 payams of which 7 payams are
still unconfirmed,” said Malong.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Roads in the state are long and straight and measured, and use red
stone and sand as tarmac. Furthermore, Aweil town is well-linked in
communications networks through Mobitel, Zain, Sudani, MTN and Gemtel
network which still use Ugandan country code +256.

Aweil town, headquarter of state government, has been properly
connected to her five county seats but nevertheless local roads
linking the counties to the payams are very poor.

Schoolboys are wearing a mix uniforms in various rural schools.

Churches in Northern Bahr-El-Ghazal state are still holding their
daily prayers under the big trees. Christianity is still the major
religion although Islam is spreading in the state.

(ST)