South Sudan government urged to end violence in Shilluk land

By James Gatdet Dak

July 29, 2010 (JUBA) – Intellectuals from the Shilluk community have urged the
leadership of the semi-autonomous Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) to end the
ongoing violence in the Shilluk land between rebelled armed elements and the
government forces, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA).

A number of intellectuals from the community expressed their concern about the
ongoing insecurity in the Shilluk Kingdom which has resulted to massive
displacement of the population and destruction of their properties in the area.
During their meeting on Thursday with the Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar Teny,
the members of the delegation headed by Gabriel Thakuch Deng, who are also
members of the SPLM, said a peaceful solution to the conflict is needed.

The intellectuals, who also included former ministers, county commissioners and
members of parliament, said they were suspecting some elements of the SPLM-DC of
Dr. Lam Akol in causing the insecurity which prompted the forces from the SPLA
to intervene.

This has caused massive displacement of Shilluk community and destruction of
their properties, the intellectuals lamented. They called on the Government of
Southern Sudan to pursue peaceful means and talk to Dr. Lam Akol to reach an
understanding with him with the aim to stopping the fighting in the area.

The former Sudan’s Foreign Affairs minister and member of the SPLM Liberation
Council established his own organization last year after breaking away from the
SPLM. He lost the April presidential elections in the South, but his party won
most of the parliamentary seats in the Shilluk Kingdom.

However, the intellectuals raised concern that the local Shilluk populations
have wrongly perceived the ongoing violence between the armed elements and the
SPLA forces as tribally motivated between Dinka and Shilluk, hence it needs to
be defused from their minds and prevent any further escalations.

They expressed the importance of inviting the Shilluk King to Juba for
consultations with the government on how best to approach the situation and stop
the fighting.

A number of villages belonging to the Shilluk community have been destroyed, and
their populations fled the areas, displacing residents to Malakal and Kodok,
including those from Fashoda, where the Shilluk King resides.

Machar told the community delegation that the government would look into their
concern, saying a peaceful approach is the best that should be pursued. He said
fighting such a local war with armed elements among the civil population is
always destructive because it is difficult to differentiate between the two.

He also added that the South is in a critical period of preparations for the
conduct of the referendum, warning that such violence could further destabilize
the Shilluk land and spoil the chance of participation by the population in the
area.

(ST)