Is SPLA conspiring against Jikany Nuer people?
By Zechariah Manyok Biar
June 17, 2009 — After a short period of relative calm in South Sudan, tribal conflicts were again witnessed after Jikany Nuer of Nasir attacked the food convoy of the United Nations that was trying to take food to Lou Nuer displaced civilians in Akobo, escorted by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) soldiers. Forty people are believed to have been killed in the fight between Jikany armed civilians and SPLA soldiers. This raised questions from Nasir County Community in Juba, South Sudan who now see their community as a victim of both Khartoum supported Lou armed civilians and the SPLA. The question that Jikany Nuer wants SPLA to answer is why SPLA is still conspiring against their people, in spite of wonderful contributions that Jikany had in the liberation war against Khartoum government? This is a genuine question that needs answer from the government of South Sudan (GOSS), not from SPLA. This article will attempt to explain the reason why SPLA is not the one to answer Jikany Nuer’s question.
Let us remind ourselves that Lou Nuer attacked Jikany Nuer on May 8, 2009 at Kony?r?k and Tork?c and killed innocent civilians, as reported by Sudan Tribune, but SPLA did not intervened to fight the attackers. The Lou Nuer Youth Association (LNYA) then took a very good move and condemned the attack on Jikany innocent civilians (Sudan Tribune, May 27, 2009).
However, Jikany Nuer is still not satisfied as it appeared in their recent ambush on UN World Food Programme barge convoy guarded by SPLA soldiers that was taking food to Lou Nuer starving civilians. Jikany’s dissatisfaction is partly because no peace talks have taken place between the two communities since the time that Lou Nuer attacked Jikany Nuer.
Jikany Nuer is clearly blaming Dr. Riek Gai Kok for Lou Nuer’s May 8, 2009 attack on Kony?r?k and Tork?c. They still think that Dr. Gai is still supplying Lou Nuer with ammunitions, as this statement shows: “It was later discovered that the boats were under direct responsibility of Dr. Riek Gai Kok, the Presidential Advisor to the President of Republic, Omar Hasan Al-Bashir” (Sudan Tribune, June 15, 2009), Nasir County Community in Juba said. Jikany Nuer feels isolated by both SPLA and Sudan government that allegedly support Dr. Gai. This is why they are asking questions now.
I am not a representative of GOSS to answer the question on behalf of the government. However, as a citizen of South Sudan who fought for the liberation of the marginalized people, I can show the role that SPLA is supposed to play in protecting innocent civilians, incase anyone does not know.
It was wrong for SPLA not to intervene when Lou Nuer attacked Jikany innocent civilians. SPLA must have regretted that mistake. Jikany community leaders and their intellectuals must also know that it would be a great mistake for SPLA to stand aside and let innocent civilians starve to death in Akobo.
The roles of national army anywhere in the world include protecting the nation’s sovereignty and borders, providing military support to civil authorities, protecting critical infrastructure, conducting information operations, conducting national missile defense, and combating terrorism.
Therefore, SPLA has the right to provide support to civil authority, including the UN whenever the need arises.
As it was unacceptable for armed Lou Nuer to kill innocent Jikany civilians, it is also unacceptable for Jikany Nuer to starve Lou Nuer’s innocent civilians to death. Both of these situations are against human rights.
We know that SPLA stood aside and did nothing when Lou attacked Murle, and we also know that SPLA stood aside and did nothing when Murle attacked Lou this year. Maybe SPLA did not know what to do by then. But now SPLA knows that it is part of its roles to defend innocent civilians against any organized armed group, be it external or internal group. It doesn’t matter also whether the attackers are armed civilians or professional army, SPLA must deal with them. This applies to armed Lou Nuer and Jikany Nuer as well as other communities in and outside Sudan.
The GOSS, I think, has the obligation to go to both Nasir and Akobo and explain the role of SPLA in defending innocent civilians anywhere in Sudan. It is a role of SPLA also to provide support to civil authority when natural tragedy befalls any community in South Sudan and outside South Sudan. Displaced Peoples’ Camps (IDPs) are sometimes the results of war or natural disaster. SPLA is obliged to take care of IDPs.
There is a need for SPLA and GOSS to make sure that nobody uses UN humanitarian convoy as a means for smuggling ammunitions or weapons to any community. We know very well that such activity is against UN and international law. Jikany Nuer should provide GOSS with concrete evidence of their claims so that GOSS can take action against the culprit.
Most importantly, GOSS needs to support local authorities of both Lou and Jikany Nuer to find ways that will restore peace between the two communities. Intellectuals of both communities must stop finger-pointing at each other and support peace between the two communities.
Jikany Nuer community leaders and intellectuals need to understand that SPLA is not against Jikany Nuer. SPLA is just doing its work as the national army, obliged to protect innocent civilians. Mistakes of the past in which SPLA played spectator’s role should not be repeated.
Zechariah Manyok Biar is a graduate student at Abilene Christian University, Texas, USA and a regular contributor to NSV. He can be reached at [email protected]
Pwad Achob
Is SPLA conspiring against Jikany Nuer people?
Hi Zech,
It is our duty, as citizens, to point out some mistakes and bad policies being praticed by our incompitent, unreliable, disorganised and inexperience GOSS. But do they listen to different views?
You have raised good points and I hope we educate ourselves by listening and engage in honest debate. I am afraid that we are not yet there.
Some few months back, citizens from Chollo(Shilluk) tribe in Upper Nile were killed by Dinka and those who killed them were SPLA members using heavy weapons.
Many innocent civilians are also being killed in their farms in Western and Eastern Equatiria when they complained of cows being driven into their farms which eventually destroyed their crops.
Does that surprise you?
Chollo tribe has never formed a millitia group through out the 22 years war between the Government of Sudan and SPLA/SPLM. Now they have become victims of peace in the south. They are being attack by SPLA army in their villages all over the Chollo land from north to south.It is very shamefull that our own protectors are killing us.
I want to refer you to the article you wrote about the formation of SPLM-DC in which you asked whether Dr Lam Akol’s party will succeed.I believe that Dr Lam Akol Ajawin party will succeed if we revert to killing ouselves in the south and also would like to add that south will not achieve our objective to separate from north.I am for separation of the south but I doubt whether we will suceed with what is happening now in the south where there is no good governance, rule of law and accountability.You can not run a country without basic things I have mentioned above.We do not want to be another Somalia in africa, do we?
[email protected] in australia.
Pwad Achob
Is SPLA conspiring against Jikany Nuer people?
Hi Paul Char,
I understand that you have a small brain and do not know what you talking about.Guns are not only with Dinkas nor do you people manufacture them.I can judge you from style of writing.
Be carefull of what you say because you are dragging Southern Sudan into——-
Those who started the liberation movement in the South from 1955 till the time when SPLM/SPLA was formed in 1983,were not irresponsible like your gangs in Juba today. You can abuse people now but time will tell.
Look what is happening in Iran today.
How many Dinkas have associated with the Arabs in the north and even upto today? Is SPLM not a partner with the Arabs in the north leave alone those of Abel Alie and others.
If the south separate and we remain alone as southerners without Arabs I think you will exactly know your position.
You cooperate with Arabs in secret and raise your voices in the open pretending that you are men.Who fought in the south?
I hope you know.Chollo did not sell the south out that is why we do not have militias in the south today.We will all go to the Arabs so that we confront ourselves.
Cowards—–
Dengtaath
Is SPLA conspiring against Jikany Nuer people?
You Zecharia Manyok Biar, you really tried to educate people of South and at the same time you tried to produce some reasons justified to SPLA involvement in this recent incident of Jikany Nasir.
But the problem is this, you failed to have good start and conclusion, please tell us what message did you intend to convey, are you blaming Jikany of attacking UN barges or blaming SPLA for being passive of all incidents happened before UN barges attack but now? For sure I didn’t get what message you wanted to share.
Thanks