Youth protest against violence in Rumbek North County
By Manyang Mayom
August 24, 2009 (RUMBEK) — The youth of Rumbek North (Maper) County went peacefully on strike on Monday in Lakes state, subsequent to an attack carried out on Saturday by Warap State pastoralist youth, which disturbed mostly elders and youth of Rumbek North.
“We are protesting because Lakes state government let us down seriously, they had collected all guns in Rumbek North youth hands and are leaving Warap youth with their guns… who is standing with us now? We are just being killed like animals without protection from government… Is that the protection Governor Daniel Awet had been advocating during the disarmament campaign?” said a protester who did not wish to be named.
Furthermore, demonstrators took the street to bring attention to a letter presented to the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) as well as the state government.
Rumbek North is located northward of Lakes state’s capital, Rumbek.
During the attack on Saturday, live gunfire could be heard in three directions from the county seat that include Kenagel, Malueth and Kak, part of Pakam grassland, as well Malueth which comprises a few houses belonging to Pakam youth; those cattle camps were attack by Luach-jang youth of Warap state on Saturday, said an official.
He also added that they looted a high number of cattle, as well wounded an unconfirmed number of people — thought to be seven people who are lying on the ground in the forest.
Lakes state acting speaker Hon. Marik Nanga Marik condemned the killing and looting of cattle as well as urged the state government to rush quick rescue to displaced people on the ground in Maper.
In April 2009, a heavy gunfire battle erupted during an inter-state tribal conflict in Rumbek North County between Warap state youth of Luach-jang and Lakes state youth of the Pakam tribe, leaving number of people dead and more injured
In April 2008, 95 were killed in fighting between Luach-jang and Pakam, the Lakes state information Minister Ms. Agad Chol Mabuong confirmed to Sudan Tribune.
“This is five times an attack has been carried out by Luach-jang youth of Warap state to attack Rumbek north areas including our pastoralists since the signing of the comprehensive peace agreement,” said a Rumbek North MP.
“During the Sudan 5th Population census, Luach-jang attacked our villages on the eve of the census, so we failed in the census because the attack resulted in the loss of census forms — but our state government has fallen silent over this action,” said Hon. Deng Mathiang.
In April 2009, youth belonging to the Gok clan of Cueibet county of Lakes state organized an attack on Luach-jang inflicting several deaths and injuries from both sides. In the wake of that attack, the governments of Warap and Lakes states brought together a reconciliation conferenced hailed by MPs, and yet an atmosphere of violence remanined among the youth.
Rumbek North County is one of the more remote parts of the state. In July 2009, Eyat Company began road construction to Maper, which was not accessible in the past.
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BUSTA 2
Youth protest against violence in Rumbek North County
The youth of Rumberk are the source of violence.
Those boys and girls who are pretending to protest are the very people who rape and steal people,s money so shut up your ugly mouths and continue with your job of raping and corrupting public money which Late father tought you.
Brother in Christ,
Busta 2
Akook
Youth protest against violence in Rumbek North County
I dont know when will these people grow up enough to understand Kiir – Awendit dirty gameplaying over the Agaar people. You should wake up people to understand this muted exercise done by once a spy man (Kiir)who already when in the bush injected some irreplaceable wounds to the people of Rumbek, we have lost nothing to the Bor people by the way as some would want us to believe.
This has nothing to do with Marik Nanga – thank him anyway for his attempted role to always speak up to such things. This blame goes to Deng Muonydit curently doing non sense, being hired to sprawled himself into corruption investigation, almost a pandemic as we speak in the South, leave William Ater Maciek alone. Deng must speak up to this concocted long, slow and painful conspiracy by Kiir – Awet over his constituency, the Agaar people in general and Rumbek North county in particular otherwise he has no business there only to be kicked out and replaced by Ramzi Monyping Cier come April 2010. Daniel Deng, not Marik i repeat must raise the issue not in Lakes state asembly but South Sudan Asembly and possibly summon the two governors of the affected states over this reckless and one sided disarmament which is clearly a cause to this deaths and massive loss of propert.
Wal P Muoranyar Biet
Youth protest against violence in Rumbek North County
We use to think that this violence was being condoned by northern governments who thrive on our miseries. Now we have our own government in Juba, our own government in Rumbek, yet the same atrocities committed in the past are still getting conducted against our people. Now to whom will the people of Southern Sudan turn? What have old men and women whose children might have perished in the struggle lost their children for? Now, is this the freedom for which rivers of young men flew to Bilpam? Is this the future civilians have to carry ammunitions, give their foods to SPLA and supported the war with all means they had? Is this the country for which young men faced tanks, endured hunger, sickness and beatings in Jubal Bonga? Is this the future? I don’t expect our governments to perform any miracle, but after five attacks on the same people, place and by the same people, I expect all the administrators, not only the governor to sit down one time and seek solution to these barbaric actions or at least express words of sorrow for the lost human beings. All the governments of the world are suppose to have long arms, meaning wherever the trouble arise, government should reach, but I now believe that the government of Southern Sudan is deformed. It is a midget one or perhaps, a deaf one. For the wailing of the people of Southern Sudan which is driving us mute all over the world in Jonglei, Lakes, and Warrap, not mentioning foreign (LRA) aggressions against the people of Western Equatoria could have stirred up some reactions, at least Condolences to the families of victims and condemnations to the culprits.
To the Luany-jang Community things have changed. It is time to try peace. We have tried these kinds of actions in the past and we have never achieved anything. I think by peacefully co-existing may one day make us able to put Luany-jang person on the moon. The war we fought for twenty-one years is still eminent. We all need each other if we wish to triumph. My last message is this. If you have not gotten what you wanted after five attacks, STOP, you are not going to get it by violence. Try peaceful means.
The Author could be reach at [email protected]
Makuenamer
Youth protest against violence in Rumbek North County
I am a kawaja from America but I have been visiting in Rumbek, Akot and Pakam for two-three weeks every year for the last five years. The Dinka people have kindly given me the name Makwenamer (I have a red nose, like Makwenamer). I have a deep love for the people of Pakam and, God willing, plan to visit again in 2010.
When I go, I teach the stories from God’s Word, many of which have not been heard since before the Civil War broke out in 1985. We have always found the people of Pakam to be interested in hearing the true stories we tell them about the Power of the One True God who became a man called Jesus Christ.
I was actually in Mayen in 2008 and Malek in 2009 when the violence happened that is referred to in these articles and comments. I remember the grief of the families as they mourned the loss of their sons and, in 2008 the loss of some of their women as well. And of course, the cattle. It’s always about the cattle somehow. I’m not sure of the source, but I heard that there is a story that each clan of Dinkas thinks is their own. It goes like this:
In the beginning Nhialic created the Mu?nyjä?. Next, He created all the cattle. He came to the Mu?nyjä? and said, “I will give you a choice. You can have all the cattle in the world, or you can have the thing called “what.” The Mu?nyjä? did not know the thing called “what” so he chose the cattle, and his choice has caused him grief ever since.
I saw the truth of this story when I talked to the elders of the villages that lost so many young men. They knew that cattle were the source of much of their suffering, but they didn’t know “what” could be done to stop the violence.
The “what” is actually Jesus Christ. Jesus said “I give you peace. I do not treat you the way the world treats you.” In another place He said “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father unless he comes by me.”
Maybe the time has come for the Mu?nyjä? to choose the “what” instead of the cattle. Nhialic will gladly give you Jesus. Jesus is the Savior for all people, not just kawajas.