Jonglei Churches pray for peaceful elections
By Philip Thon Aleu
December 6, 2009 (BOR) – Church leaders converged here on Sunday to pray for unity and peace in Jonglei ahead of 2010 general elections.
Bishop of Bor diocese Nathaniel Garang Anyieth explains that God will answer “our prayers….[because] He is great. God is great.”
“Give guns to the government,” His Lordship Nathaniel Garang tells over 5,000 people from 25 churches of various denominations in Bor Town Freedom Square. “If you refuse to hand arms [to organized forces], we shall pray and that gun will turn against you,” he warns.
The midday function was organized by Jonglei state committee on small arms and light weapons in collaboration with South Sudan bureau for community security and small arms control.
The organizers spoke with confidence of peaceful disarmament having had a two days workshop earlier on small arms control with cattle keepers. During the workshop, facilitators had what they described as “more formal consultation with cattle keepers…and discussions on the dimension and scope of problems related to small arms and light weapon.”
The need for voluntary disarmament and how small arms – in the hands of civilians are obstacle to the implement of Comprehensive Peace Agreement and democratization process in the country, were also discussed.
Elizabeth Ayen, who chairs the state committee on light weapons, told the Sudan Tribune why she thinks disarmament is possible than before.
“We are seeing local people lying down their guns in many counties. This is explanation that people are realizing the importance of peace,” she says in reference to reports that northern Counties of Uror, Ayod and Nyirol have started peaceful disarmament by handing guns to local authorities.
In Bor on Sunday, churches match through the town before finally stop at the freedom for prayers that lasted about 3 hours. A church prayer group calls “Youth Mama” comprised of women and men from all tribes in Jonglei state were prominent in the event.
A representative from all ethnic communities of Jonglei state from Jie to Anyuak, Murle, Bor, Nuer and Kachipo led a prayer at a time. A Darfurian man and a member of the group also participated in the religious activity to confirm the diversity of ‘Youth Mama.’
Today Sunday prayers come two days after South Sudan Bureau for Community Security and Small Arms Control briefed Jonglei state ministers on strategies to disarm local people. The bureau urges that each state has an agreed security strategy and action plan, reactivate dry season courts and ensures that adequate security is provided by organized armed forces before commencing disarmament.
Chuol Gew Nhial, the deputy chairman of South Sudan told reporters on Friday in Bor that “peaceful disarmament is the best”. Mr. Gew, however, recommends using SPLA forces as “deter” for efficiency of voluntary disarmament.
Recognizing that South Sudan armed forces could not be stationed at communities borders at time, the Bureau, proposes that Juba government should divide the ten states into four clusters of disarmament.
Jonglei and Upper Nile states fell in one cluster as Lakes, Warrap and Unity states in another. Eastern, Central and Western Equatoria states are grouped together as Western and Northern Bar-El Ghazel states fell in one cluster.
The Friday briefing in the state council of ministers hall in Bor, Jonglei welcomed the plan but expressed concern on disarming neighboring armed communities at different time.
The example is Bor and Mundari who are odd neighbors that fell in different clusters. Another example is Teposa and Murle of Jonglei state that share a rough border but could be disarmed one after the other.
The most challenge, however, is that each every community want to witness neighbors’ disarmament commencing before giving-in their guns.
The year 2009 has seen many tribal attacks. About 2,000 people are killed in Southern Sudan this year and more than half of this figure are Jonglei citizens. Alongside poor rains, tribal conflicts in Jonglei state has created wide food gap.
If church prayers could a breakthrough, the state welcomes. Deputy Gov. Hussein Mar Nyuot led the government representatives in the prayer today at Freedom Square. Mr. Nyuot praised the church leaders’ intervention and argues the armed youths to cooperate with calls for voluntary disarmament.
(ST)
understanding
Jonglei Churches pray for peaceful elections
I can’t believe that will happen in southern Sudan not to guns them self if thought that man pray for ten times. Also don’t make election to be like the song you sing whenever you want to…
The Living Witness
Jonglei Churches pray for peaceful elections
May there be everlasting peace so that the greedy ones may continue to steal and the downpressed ones can crop up in their natural home soil with their conducive fertile soil. The bloodsuckers with big dummy asses can perish gradually as a result of over sucking people’s blood. The corrupt guys with minor knowledge should be eradicated in our reform government administartion era.
The bishop may try his faith but those who shot snaps with him are all shit.
Oduck Bol
Jonglei Churches pray for peaceful elections
If you can pray so that the guns can turn against their owners who will not hand their guns,Why you do not pray for those northerners who killed more than tow millions southerns and the CPA which its parts has been delay many time by NCP?
Just pray for yourself to build more stomach.
J.James
Jonglei Churches pray for peaceful elections
Good
Jongolei will be the peacful state in the region, please mark my word.
God bless
The writer is always peace activist.
Gatwech
Jonglei Churches pray for peaceful elections
Dear readers,
According to the report by the article above, Uror, Nyirol and Ayod counties (all are some of the Nuer counties in Jonglei) are the ones laying down their arms voluntarily. They also did it in 2006. What about Bor-Dinka and Murle?
Bishop Nathanial Garang said in the statement above that “If you refuse to hand arms [to organized forces], we shall pray and that gun will turn against you,” he warns.
Well, that curse (though not the right purpose for a God’s man to pray for evil thing to happen to his people) should now apply directly to Bor-Dinka who have refused since 2005 to hand over guns. They have organized themselves into groups of cattle keepers and heavily armed roaming with guns even inside Bor town. They should be disarmed by force.
And I don’t believe there will be elections in Jonglei if the minority Dinka population which constitutes only 5% of the state’s population but imposed on the state by Salva Kiir’s tribal leadership is messing up things.
Bishop Garang should have prayed to avoid flames up in Jonglei state instead of confirming it by just saying the perpetrators like his tribesmen the Bor-Dinka will have their guns turned against themselves if they didn’t heed to his call.
Akuma
Jonglei Churches pray for peaceful elections
We may first ourselves before praying to God. Do we have democracy before, or can International Criminal court issued against Sudanese President Bashir after election? All those questions should first be analyses before saying “say no guns during election”. I am not saying we should not pray God for help, but If situation is tent, then we must depend ourselves against our enemies
Even Israelists don’t abolish guns are they God’s Chosen people
Dr. Akuma, chicago USA
Paul Lokuji Micah daudi
Jonglei Churches pray for peaceful elections
Hi all,
The Bishop has the right to pray for God to turn the guns on their owners because the people whom had the guns are now a risk to our loving land South Sudan.Please lets get out with this Dinka Nuer business the South is not for Dinka or Nuer its all for us either Nuer,Dinka,Bari,Mundari etc…..
And one more thing Nathaniel is a bishop for all not Bor he is the Bishop of the ECS not Dinka Bor even if he is the Bishop of the Diocese of Bor lets not mixed greed with church business one day God will punish all those whom tend to make confessions.
God Bless your people;;;;;