8 people killed during clashes in Lakes state
By Manyang Mayom
May 30, 2010 (RUMBEK) — Eight people were killed and 27 were wounded in the Abiriu Payam region of Cueibet Country of Lakes State following Saturday’s clashes between two SPLA platoons and armed civilians.
Speaking to Sudan Tribune, Major General Kuol Diem Kuol, the SPLA official spokesperson, confirmed that three SPLA soldiers were killed and seven sustained injuries .He also added that 20 armed civilians have sustained injuries and five were killed by SPLA soldiers.
In an attempt to explain the cause of this clash, Kuol said that “there was a conflict between people in Rumbek and people in Cueibet over cattle raids, and in that case, there were allegations of attacks and Abiriu Payam was suspected to be the centre for clashes and the police presence there was very small – so, yesterday the commissioner of Cueibet county requested the SPLA ‘s intervention , when the people of Abiriu saw the SPLA stepping down from their trucks, they immediately opened fire killing one SPLA officer on the spot – so the SPLA fired and killed five armed civilians ,injured 20 civilians and seized 11 guns belonging to armed civilians.”
The commissioner of Cueibet County John Madhang Majok couldn’t provide a comment since his phone was out of service.
However, Major Diem appeals to the Abiriu people by saying that “I appeal to the people of Abiriu , the SPLA is an army and it came directly to you in your payam to maintain peace and ensure that civilians keep themselves on cultivation garden instead of confrontation.”
On February 20, 2010, Chief Jok Dau Kachuol, a Gok Dinka Paramount-Chief, was killed in his court premises in Cueibet County of Lakes State over clashes between SPLA soldiers and the armed civilian population who were attempting to break into a weapons store, however, the President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit, asked the family of the late Paramount- Chief to remain calm until the investigation results are released to the public.
Abiriu Payam is in Eastern Cueibet County of Lakes state has been the scene of clashes between the SPLA forces and armed civilians since the peace agreement was signed – a significant number from the civilian population and the SPLA forces were killed.
Reports have shown that SPLA forces implementing the 2008 presidential decree of forceful disarmament have carried out abuses such as torture and beating towards civilians during the disarmament process.
SPLA officials denied the accusations.
(ST)
Dinka Boy
8 people killed during clashes in Lakes state
Cattle raiding is completely acrime therefore SPLM need to stop this ill act by implementing the strong law against it. Cattle raiding is stealing method so SPLA must intervinced to stop those theives with the intention to steal the properties of innocent people. South Sudanese must know that this is modern time ,it’s not ancient time. Yes, SPLA must involved because those cattle raiders are indeed thieves. Thanks
Aduol Liet
8 people killed during clashes in Lakes state
Manyang Mayom.
It look like there is a lack of understanding from all Communities of Lake State, why these civilians do not respected the SPLA and they are going to be Southern Sudan national Army in the South. You guys must talks to Communities directly otherwise, civilian who doe not obey their army are consider enemy to its armies and Lake educators must tell civilians to behave good.
Daniel Juol Nhomngek Geech
8 people killed during clashes in Lakes state
BEING NEUTRAL IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF A PROFESSIONAL JOURNALIST.
Many responses have been given due to this one sided article by Manyang Mayom however, I am now taking cautious approach to this problem which single Gok Community out among all the communities in Southern Sudan by starting it with the following questions:
Was it a planned report to damage Gok People’s reputation or was it a slip of the pen from the journalist, Manyang Mayom? According to the article by Manyang Mayom entitled “8 PEOPLE KILLED DURING CLASHES IN LAKES STATE” that was dated to 31th May 2010, there is much to be desired in that article. I was shocked when I checked online the website of Sudan Tribune (www.sudantribune.com) only to find that the known facts about the recent conflict between SPLA soldiers (not even forces as he puts it) and the members of Gok Community in Abiriu Payam twisted by unscrupulous journalist Mr. Manyang to satisfy his own primitive and primordial interests.
According to my understanding, Manyang seems to have ceased from being a state Journalist, and instead he is reporting on behalf of some groups who are out there against Gok people. I have discovered according to Manyang’s dictions in this article that there are some people who are telling him what to write about the report, without being guided by the principles of journalism. It is very dismal and quite disappointing to see the noble job like journalism being narrowed down to fit the tribal line.
Manyang is trying to bring Gok down from their political success in the SPLA/M Movement and in the Government of Southern Sudan. Furthermore, he is sending wrong image about southern Sudanese to the whole world given the fact that we are in the global village where everything is easily accessible online. How can the government like the Southern Sudan loses control over the army to be enemies to the people it suppose to protect? This is question which will be raised due to the wrong information given by Manyang Mayom.
I was filled with horror and awesome feelings to discover that Manyang Mayom is destroying Gok Community with his primary six pen, which is unacceptable. He is posed to destroy Gok Community by writing lies through inventing stories to make Gok People appear cruel some and dissidents to the Government of the South.
To report wrongly is bad since it suffocates the truth and exposes innocent people like Gok Community to risks of hatred, vices, prejudice, stereotype and preconceived ideas and attitudes. What I have construed from the article is that Gok people will become target to any SPLA forces anywhere, at any time and in any place, given his wrong report about them.
To refer back to the article that infuriated me, Manyang, in that article, gave two wrong and misleading information about the recent incidence in Abiriu Payam, where SPLA soldiers fought with some of the civilians, which left eight people dead. In writing that “When the people of Abiriu saw the SPLA stepping down from their trucks, they immediately opened fire killing one officer on the spot-so the SPLA fired and killed five armed civilians, injured 20 civilians and seized 11 guns belonging to armed civilians” shows that Manyang’s report was based on the soldiers’ point of view only, which is wrong.
To analyze it critically, it shows that Manyang did not go to the scene and such a report through hearay is always wrong in journalism. As a journalist, Manyang should have gone to the ground to also take views from the civilians as well as the eye-witnesses who were present. The one sided report from that article has put the people of Abiriu and Gok Communtiy at large, at risk with the southern Sudan army unless the soldiers act rationally in future. If not, the Gok people will become victims in the near future to any armed contingents who will be passing with the preconceived idea that Gok people are dangerous people. Believe me not.
I believe that Manyang’s report has already done a great harm to Gok People and their future since it has already created tension between Cueibet County and the Southern Sudan Government. Cueibet is being portrayed in the report as the county which does not like southern Sudan at heart and the freedom of southern Sudanese.
I have to say that we are innocent and the report is wrong, it is a made up story to make the story that happened credible and believable so that Gok people should not have any place in the South, since simply according to Manyang Mayom, Gok hate SPLA and the Southern Sudan Government.
Another part of the article that is very dangerous to safety of Gok people is when he wrote that “Abiriu Payam in Eastern Cueibet County of Lakes state been the scene of clashes between the SPLA forces and armed civilians since the peace agreement was signed—–“these are very serious fabricated lies which need to be condemned with the strongest terms possible. Such lies that are used to destroy people’s reputation are nefarious, repugnant, immoral, rigmarole, ill-intended and baseless.
Since the liberation war started twenty seven years ago, when did Gok people in General leave alone Abiriu Payam ever quarreled with SPLA forces or abandon the SPLA/M Movement? Prove me if I am wrong. Even in the darkest hour of the SPLA when the movement was about to collapse, most of the strongest Gok leaders in the movement remained loyal and faithful to the cause of Southern Sudanese. I don’t want to mention these leaders because they are living examples in our government today. How come that they become discontented now yet they are even in the heart of the government of the South?
It is nonsense and misplaced truth. I hope many people know the contributions of Gok community (which Manyang is trying to destroy today through lies) to the SPLA. In terms of human lives contribution to war, Abiriu Payam alone, which Manyang is now trying to destroy through writing fake stories against it today had more than eight hundred people who lost their lives in direct combat in the liberation war.
These were people who went to Ethiopia and later came back to fight for the freedom of the southern Sudanese. Their dreams and actions were directed towards liberating the marginalized people of the South, if not the whole Sudan. It is not like today where some people count those who were killed on the side of the enemies of southerners, fighting against brothers in south. If such a great lost was incurred only in one Payam; Abiriu Payam, how many Gok people were lost in the rest of eight Payams? It is something bad and can cause tears from Gok people but the Gok people are always consoled because the people have given their lives fighting for the rights of the south and the southern Sudanese.
I have stressed these contributions of Gok people because according to Manyang’s article, Gok people in Abiriu seem not to have loved the Peace that was achieved by the SPLA/M through CPA in 2005. It should be considered as lie because there is no substantial evidence to substantiate this claim that Gok people have been fighting with SPLA since the peace deal was signed. It is a lie and Sudan Tribune should revoke the article since it gave wrong information to the public of Sudan.
I appeal to Sudan Tribune to stop Manyang Mayom from publishing articles in their site because he does not give accurate information about the events given his low level of education and his tribal attitude and his childishness. It is wrong to give wrong information to the public because it can cause tension in the country, which can result into insecurity. Being neutral is one of the most important aspects of journalism and all journalists in Southern Sudan should be neutral in reporting. To hell with Manyang Mayom!
By: Daniel Juol Nhomngek, a Gok student writing from Kampala Uganda, he can be reached at blog; http://www.southsudanstruggle.blogspot.com
Daniel Juol Nhomngek Geech
8 people killed during clashes in Lakes state
Reply to Manyang Mayom spurious on clashes following Saturday, on May 29/30/2010
Due to the wrong information given by Manyang Mayom, this message goes to him plus Lakes state governor and commissioners about the spurious information he had given about Abiriu Payam in eastern cueibet county in Lakes State where the clashes between the SPLA forces and the civilians took place. That information was spurious.
I would like to tell the so called journalist Manyang Mayom to introduce himself in the first place to me and to the entire world. He should tell the world about his level of education that qualified him to be journalist of Lakes State, and under what circumstances did he give such inaccurate information?
I believe that Manyang Mayom was being influenced by the external forces to give wrong messages. I am convinced and I believe that those who provide him or influence him to report in that way are enemies to Gok Community. I have a reason to believe that all the root causes of problems between Cueibet and Rumbek people are caused by manyang and his group with Gokphobia which is against Gok Community.
This is strongly proved and shown in the recent writing by Manyang who used one sided ideology and in that I think he just speculated information with his schizophrenia mind together with some people fromsome KIDROW in Eastern Rumbek county. I am much concerned about this and I am ready to accuse some of the intellectuals in Rumbek who do not stop Manyang from damaging the Gok Community’s reputation.
Since the Gok community came into governorship five years ago, Manyang has been constantly attacking the whole Gok Community. Enough is enough one rotten meat spoils the whole meat, Manyang has spoiled the whole of Agar Community with his malicious and nefarious writing .
After failing to make his point through, Manyang has now turned to the side of drawing the attention of the southern Sudanese on Gok people. To make the matters worse, Manyang is now on character assassination of individuals people in Gok area and at the same time he is trying to turn the eyes of Southern Sudanese people more especially the SPLA forces on Gok people in general.
This was underscored by the recent fake and wrong allegations that Abiriu Payam is an enemy to the SPLA. When he wrote that “When the people of Abiriu saw the SPLA they opened fire and killed the officer on the spot—” this is a very serious matter which needs the case to be held against Manyang because this allegtion has put Gok people in a precarious position with the SPLA.
To prove Manyang wrong, Gok people had never had any problem with the SPLA since the beginning of the SPLA in 1983. It is due to such a committement which makes Gok people to be darling of the Southern Sudan struggle and Manyang is now out there to destroy that legacy through all his made up stories, that are supported with fabricated lies. I hope he will never manage to win the case against Gok people no matter how much he will write. The truth wills out
He does things in such a way but he does not know how good and hospital the people of GOK are, especially the of people Abiriu even within the SPLA/M forces. Shame on you Manyang! Although I blame you now I regret to understand and say that there are some power hungry and maniacs individuals who are using you blindly to achieve their primitive and primordial aims. Those primitive loyalists have forgotten that they are misusing you to achieve their narrow-minded objectives.
This is why I contradicted myself to say that I could not blame you because you used to share fake ideas with them at Payam level. These people claim that they are intellectuals which is not true. They should show that intellectuality through their relationship with other people in the state.
Furthermore Manyang, I would like to tell the media and people who have read your message that it was wrongly written drawn from hearsay only. That article was written through Manyang stupidity and deserves chanting by all means, it is a wrong article just to be plain. There is no substance in it. The speculative ideas are as bad as telling lies. Take away your primary six pen from journalism you are defacing the holy job
The only thing I regret is that law concerning journalism in Lakes state was not revised to determine the level of education that make a person to become a journalist there. However, I nurse a hope that the current governor will do his level best to look for educated and professional journalists in lakes state. I suggest that he should look for those with senior four certificates to university level.
To reverse back to the main topic, which is the wrong report given by so called state journalist, Manyang, basing on clashes, I would like to say that generally, Gok is known for it social, political development and unity in southern Sudan. This is the fact that is known by many southerners including most of the wise commanders in the SPLA/M during liberation struggle.
Not only above assertion, but also in terms of those who contributed most in the liberation struggle, the people of Abiriu Payam have contributed a lot to the war in terms of human persons. For instance, Abiriu alone lost more than eight hundred people during struggle in the south for the liberation of the whole south not only their Gok Community.
This is further proved by the fact that in the whole southern Sudan no intellectuals from Gok within Gok Community has ever fueled the tribal hatred and conflicts among the cattle headers. The main concern for the Gok intellectuals is how to liberate South from its enemies.
Therefore, if Manyang is not very stupid enough with some of his arrogant groups of people who are behind him, pushing him all the times to publish lies in Lakes State, they will have analyzed the value of GOK in the SPLA/M liberation struggle. They should do that instead of creating and inventing lies against the people of Abiriu. Since the peace agreement was signed, which I believe Manyang knows very well, Gok people had never had any problems with the SPLA/M apart from recent clashes whose its root causes all of us know.
Contrarily to the allegations made up by Manyang Mayom and his groups against Gok community, Gok people have played a greater role in liberating the whole South. These stupid allegations by Manyang Mayom are just made up as a way of damaging Gok stand in the south. We will not allow it. they are gathered from the poor and stupid ideas always as a way of opposing the role of Gok in Lakes state.
To the whole issue is aggravated by the poor English used by Manyang to publish the article. This is because Manyang is not qualified through language to be a state journalist because whatever he writes is full of equivocation. This makes his messages to have several interpretations from the readers in the Sudan Tribune site. This upsets and angers me most. Manyang should go for further training in Journalism to know dos and don’ts.
When Manyang reported the clashes, many people were aware already and I think all people know that Manyang is a typical liar. This was because many people had already had prior know of the clashes. therefore, I have to say that people of Aririu did shoot at the SPLA force from the trucks as he put it.
I think Manyang might have confused Abiriu incidence witth that of Akot It was at Akot where it happened. When the youth from the cattle ambushed the SPLA soldiers and the police forces, killing most of them including a Major commander and the captain. This was actually last year in month of December to be specific. which results into that massive disaster and destruction of house, which later ensued there.
It is bad to laugh at the people when something bad befalls them but I have tried to bring the above example as a means of making my point clearer in an attempt to explain such incidents. The regrettable issue is that Manyang did not write anything like this last year to point out that his people were wrong. However, when it comes to the issue of Cueibet, Manyang is trying by all means to circumvent the truth to make Gok people appear wrong in the eyes of southerners. It is a strong betrayal of Gok people by Manyang in his writing.
I am very angry with the people of Rumbek central for allowing him to continually writing his misinformed articles without giving him advice to stop or change his style off writing. Manyang Mayom should go back to school to learn how to write well and finish his primary seven up to secondary school level as well.
Journalism needs good command of language and knowlegde for any journalist to fit in that field, he should possess the two. If he does not have a capacity to give accurate information, he must stop unconditionally from giving wrong information. This is because he is spoiling the name of journalists in general, because he was a primary six only.
To salvage our state from giving bad impression as Manyang has already brought, Manyang has to be neutral in reporting and give accurate information all times, which i s the most important principle in journalism.
Manyang, I advice you to leave your tribal loyalty and work as a true southern Sudanese patriot. Report well.
By ALbino Akol Dut Guem.