Ngundeng’s family elders dismiss accusations against Machar
By James Gatdet Dak
May 21, 2009 (JUBA) – Ngundeng Bong’s family elders have dismissed, as baseless, complaints raised against the Government of Southern Sudan’s Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, on reception of the Prophet’s Rod (Dang) which was returned to Southern Sudan on 16th May after more than 80 years in England.
A number of Ngundeng’s grandsons and granddaughters led by an SPLA officer, Colonel James Lony Thichiot, held a press conference in Juba on 18th May, accusing the Vice President of conducting the sacrifices surrounding the return of the Rod.
Thichiot said the Vice President could not qualify to carryout the sacrifices since he had no scarifications on his forehead – a six-line traditional Nuer cutting on the forehead that symbolize the age of manhood of a male – and has become the rule to conduct sacrifices.
Thichiot, who himself does not carry the forehead traditional cuttings, also accused Vice President Machar of politicizing the return of the Prophet’s Rod two days after Machar received it.
In response by a telephone call from Bentiu, Unity state, where he has been participating in the kings and chiefs conference, Machar reportedly said Thichiot is an SPLA officer who had no right to interfere in political affairs that concern the whole people of Southern Sudan to whom the returned Rod belongs.
Machar on the day the Rod was returned explained that it would be taken to Bieh after necessary arrangements have been made, and that the Rod must be kept in a national archive that would be constructed soon.
The Director for Archives, Professor Sevenino Mati, reportedly died a few days before the return of the historic Rod.
However, in a press release signed by an elder grandson of Ngundeng, Honorable Gai Lel Ngundeng, the Prophet’s family elders said they were disturbed by the attitude shown by the younger members of the family in regard to the reception of the divine Rod.
“The leadership of the family of Prophet Ngundeng is hereby addressing misunderstandings created by young boys and girls of the family in regard to the reception of the Prophet’s divine Rod on May 16, 2009. The family elders and leaders are disturbed by the Press Conference conducted by teenage family members in Juba accusing the Vice President of the Government of Southern Sudan with unfounded allegations,” said the statement.
The statement explained that the sacrifices conducted in Juba under the auspices and jurisdiction of the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) headquarters were done in the right way and that they are also different from the sacrifices to be conducted at the Prophet’s headquarters at Bieh.
“Based on the tradition of the family, there is nothing wrong for somebody who is not initiated on his forehead to kill a bull as long as it is done outside the jurisdiction of the Holy Land [Bieh or Wec Deang]. Although Riek Machar is not initiated unlike Salva Kiir whom the Nuer would regard as a man because he is scarified on his forehead, still the rules of killing the bull do not apply to a bull sacrificed in Juba, the seat of GoSS,” the statement explained.
“The family would like to inform the people of South Sudan that those ‘minors’ who called a press conference in Juba on May 18, did not represent the leadership of the Ngundeng’s family. The allegations they raised against the Vice President of GoSS are baseless and do not represent the views of the family leadership,” it further stated.
The press release, which was also published by a number of South Sudan-based newspapers, suspected elements of political leaders to be behind the move of the minors to complaint against the Vice President.
“We therefore warn those who want to politicize the homecoming of Dang to settle grudges with Riek Machar to refrain from inciting minors against the agents of the GoSS for receiving the Rod,” stated the press release.
“The arrangements for the final return of the Rod to Bieh are being conducted between the leadership of the family and the agents of the Government of the South. When all the arrangements are complete, a ceremony will take place at Wec Deang where the family and various South Sudan community leaders will receive the GoSS delegation that would return the Dang to its rightful place where it was looted by the British,” it concluded.
The statement congratulated President Salva Kiir Mayardit and his government for honoring the Prophet. It also congratulated Professor Douglas Johnson for his “tireless and voluntary” work to return the Rod.
The Rod, believed to be about 150 years old, received a jubilant homecoming welcome on 16th May where thousands of people converged at Juba airport, then followed by colorful celebrations at the residence of the Vice President.
In his remarks to the more than 1,500 kings and chiefs during the opening of the conference in Bentiu, Unity state, the First Vice President of Sudan and President of the Government of Southern Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit, reportedly explained that Ngundeng’s Rod was a historic symbol of resistance to oppression by the people of Southern Sudan.
Ngundeng did not have any direct contact with any modern government administration, but among his prophecies which he composed in form of songs he predicted the coming of rol-mac (colored people with guns), the North-South civil war and independence for the South.
(ST)