Eastern Equatoria: Torture & jail, a survivor reports
By Michael Mathias Wani
August 22, 2011 — It was on August 12, 2011 when I went to visit my brother who was jailed in Nimule, a Town in Eastern Equatoria State bordering Uganda. On reaching there, I thought of going directly to Nimule Police Station, but a relative told me that my brother was in the ‘Dinka Police Station’. According to his explanation, my brother was jailed in the ‘Dinka Police Station’ because he had a problem with a Dinka.
In Nimule, anybody who have problem with a Dinka or many of them are jailed in ‘Dinka Police’ while issues with the rest of people across South Sudan are being handled in Nimule Police Station, he added. I decided to go with hope of visiting him, a brother of mine. When I reached to what they called Dinka Police Station, I talked to the officer on duty about my brother. This officer instead put me in jail and demanded that I point out the person who sent me to ask for my brother in that ‘Dinka Police Station’. He was also quick to deny presence of my brother in that jail.
Late in the evening, I was tortured and locked in. The following morning I was given multiple lashes before I was release. With all the pains now I am back to Mundri and never know the fate of my brother as I write.
What could be the meaning of this Dinka Police Station if people can’t be allowed to visit their relatives jailed there? Why should I be tortured for going to visit my brother jailed there? Why the people of Eastern Equatorial allowed such Police Station of segregation to exist in Nimule? Why Dinka are allowed to have such Police Station for torturing innocent people like me? Is the government of South Sudan having general and Private Police Stations for treating Dinka Versus non Dinka in Nimule? And why all these are happening?
When people were complaining about Dinka Police Station in Juba, some government officials denied the existence. What about this one in Nimule? Considering denial of access to see my brother, and the way I was treated. That Police Station is a true Hell to anyone taken there. Although I am getting medical treatment, according to the Doctor I may end up with physical disabilities. My knees, pelvic, ankles, arms, were terribly heat with clubs including kicking with hard shoes and lashes.
My health is now damaged without fault and without choice. I am appealing to the people of Eastern Equatorial and the government of South Sudan, if you don’t close Dinka Police Station in Nimule; it’s a Police Station by name. The activities centred there are meant to Torture and Kill. Like what happened to my brother, a lot of people taken there for having problem with Dinka never come back. Anyone who denies this message should go to Nimule for more finding. The situation is awkward.
The author can be reached at [email protected]
Ayuel Bong
Eastern Equatoria: Torture & jail, a survivor reports
Mr. Michael Wani,I know that after we gained our independent state,the government of south sudan should have the rules of law as priority of its mandated of responsibility of its citizens and to train the police to know the rules but unfortunately,the people of south sudan felt unsafe as you mention that there was a Dinka Police Station in Nimule and I do not know whether the Dinka becomes an independent authority in Nimule or so what! I wish you to give an appropriate information if you could and I am sorry for what happened to you wishing a healthy and peace of mind.
Nhomlawda
Eastern Equatoria: Torture & jail, a survivor reports
This is useless propaganda.
There is nothing called Dinka Police Station in Nimule or anywhere in South Sudan.
Yes police discipline people who run their mouth recklessly. Remember this is not western world police, this is a third world police, and you must expect discipline when you run your mouth against the police.
Deng Sam Malek
Eastern Equatoria: Torture & jail, a survivor reports
Sorry my brother for what happened. You don’t deserve it that way – after all you did no wrong by visiting your jailed brother in Nimule. Let us hope for a better change and strive for a better country where justice must prevail. George W.Bush once said “whether we bring justice to our enemies or bring our enemies to Justice, the justice shall be done.”I pray that you recover well and let those who have ears to hear take your complain serious and act on it within their mandate without fear or favor.
One thing that I will not bear witness with you for now and for good is the issue of Dinka prison in Nimule. That name is inappropriate in its sense because nothing like this exists in there. Your problem here is about the head of that prison – being Dinka. I have records for that prison because 6 brothers of mine were once jailed there for two good weeks and were subjected to torture and hard labor throughout that period. At their entry, each of them was given 30 lashes and all of them locked up immediately. No food given that day. To make matters worse, visitors are treated like traitors by these guys. In short, everything in that prison is a trouble and very sad to talk about. There is too much heat inside and all the inmates are always dehydrated. At the end of two weeks it was annoying to see the shapes of these men. But what could one do yet the government is paying deaf ear to the complains. One thing you also need to know for the benefit of any doubt is that the staffs there are mixed – not from one tribe (Dinka the way you seem to put it). If anyone doubts this fact, then go to Nimule and find out for yourself. If this prison is Dinka prison like the way you call it, then what happened to my relatives wouldn’t have happened – after all they did not commit serious crime that befits the torture. They were even released afterwards without charges. Can you imagine this??? What must be clear here guys, is that no one will ever admire what happened to this brother of ours and neither either will any reasonable officer put in jail and torture the most innocent person of his kind. This is a tall order in disguise and must be condemned in its strongest terms. Shame on the prison warden who did this.
Again to you my friend and a brother (the victim) and all the guys who commented on this article; let no one be carried away by the tribal politics because it is not helpful and has done no good to this nation. In fact, if tribalism was a blessing, South Sudan would be a world power by now. Let’s embrace the freedom and help ourselves fight the wrong leaders and put a side tribal conflict. The greatest power of freedom is to overcome hatred and violence, and pursue peace. That is the future we choose. Tribalism at its best is terrible, and this one of ours, in its magnitude and in its duration, is one of the most terrible.
We will win this by meeting a series of challenges with determination and will. Let us not be slandered from our duty by false accusations against us. No one should be frightened from it by menaces of destruction to ourselves. Let us have faith that right makes might and dare to do our duty. I appeal to you again to constantly bear in mind that with you, and not with politicians, this country will prosper and hatred will be no more.
In times like this one, you should not utter something for which you would not willingly be responsible through time and eternity. Let us strive on to finish the work we are in and to bind up the nation’s wounds.
Reach me at [email protected] or Skype at sam.deng.malek.
Eastern
Eastern Equatoria: Torture & jail, a survivor reports
The case raised by Wani is hurriedly being brushed aside by all and soundry. It is evident that in Nimule we have two parallel systems: one for others (the general public) and another for Dinkas.
Go to Motoyo, you will find traditional courts manned by Dinka chiefs in Jurisdiction of Madi traditional chiefs. I may be led to agree that there must be a Dinka police and therefore a Dinka prison somewhere in Nimule.
But like somebody has commented earlier, this cry by that man from Mundri will fall on deaf ears as always. You remember what happened sometimes earlier in the year; where peaceful cultivators rounded stray Dinka cattle and hearded them to Nimule Payam offices? Millitary police was marshelled by those in the power to lash at these happless souls.
Nothing much will come out of any investigation whose outcome is predictable. Let the ‘liberators’ have their field day and let the lesser South Sudanese continue to be down trodden.
acuil deng
Eastern Equatoria: Torture & jail, a survivor reports
Based on what Mr. Michael WANI’s “account” an inquiry should; immediately, be conducted for justice to be served.
No one should be above the law, which should; eventualy, bring those responsible to face their actions. What happend to Mr. Wani, surely demonstrates, how “weak and fragile the local authority is”. More money should be allocated for training, and education purposes for soldiers; and law enforcement officers nation wide, so that they could be able to carry their duties.”Corruption is believed to be widely practised in most of our police station,” a very serious issue, which this present government should give more attention.
It will take a lot of courage, dedication and patriotism to bring about peace, and justice to our long suffering people.
Our people should be able to live in peace without being threat end, intimidated or coerced by the police.
Deng manyok
Eastern Equatoria: Torture & jail, a survivor reports
Mr. Wani your article is part of destructive of the system of Republic of the South Sudan. You are creating decisive tactic to despise for Dinka. I didn,t believe your persuation because it didn’t have a full evidence of information about the case. If it should be true you should gone to the commissioner of Numile and reported it to him or you supposed to go to church leader to help you to be investigated. Nobody can be turture while he didn’t commit a big crime or while checking for his/her relative detained by authority. Do the right thing as getleman and you can be see rather than falsification. Don’t naugh, correct yoursef?
Rising of the Sun
Eastern Equatoria: Torture & jail, a survivor reports
What this gentleman from Mundri wrote here is most likely to be true.
I know there are two police stations in Nimule. Most Dinka related cases are not reported to the main police station but to a small police post somewhere next to the residential area occupied by the Dinka community in Nimule. The officers in that police station are not deployed by the state authorities in Eastern Equatoria but by the central government in Juba (illegally). Those in the main police post are the legal state deployed police.
But because other communities and Eastern Equatoria state government have developed “total fear” of dinka, they can not even challenge the government in Juba to act according to the law. The state authorities are weak, cowardly and irresponsible (just like those in GoSS) to allow parallel structures in one state. Why can’t these police be deployed to Jonglei state to help prevent the frequent killings and cattle raiding there? Instead the GoSS deploys them to a peaceful town like Nimule where state police are already doing a good job.
This habit of denying the truth is what led us to fight for our freedom from the arab domination.
We can not pretend to have one country and constitution yet encourage special treatment of some groups and brutal treatment of others while blatantly breaking the laws we claim to be enforcing.
Those who have not been to Nimule and lived there enough to see the facts should just shut up or go to verify for themselves.
It is time for some groups in South Sudan to recognise that the bush error is gone and it is now time to live according to the rule of law so that we have justice, peace, liberty and prosperity for all.
The more we make some sections of our nation feel sidelined, the more unity will desert us and animosity will continue to build. Like we all know from history, everything has an end but it is only rational that we strive for a good ending for all.
Wake up and stop supporting tribes but support the truth.
God save South Sudan!
kwel mark
Eastern Equatoria: Torture & jail, a survivor reports
RUBBISH Mr. Wani
Dinka are not sleeping dogs to form a cell without the knowledge from the payam Authority , If one reads carefully , one will release that Wani is cooking up something from the BLUE. in real sense some weeks ago EES posted a message on Sudan tribune entitled DINKA IDPs TO GO BACK TO THEIR STATES.
Coining this real situation with that of Dinka police is a totall rubish to you wani , Shame on you, that is not the right way of getting rid of the Dinka in eastern Equatoria
Your case against Dinka will be solved on day rather than tarnishing the Dinka name , preach your gosple it has become a normal hymn to Dinka .
This new state needs a mind like you to build it on the core of co-existence ,social being than on vice and irk of yur mind … be warned that Dinkas are not sleeping anymore , you are killing them every where Equatoria but they follow the justice as they are born to make no enemies .
REVISE YOUR METHOD OR TACTIC PLZ. BE WARNED
Fighter
Eastern Equatoria: Torture & jail, a survivor reports
Dinka in South Sudan is now a major problem. In the future, Nuer could do the same because they could have stopped Dinka at will whether peacefully or by force. I know this is possible because I am certain Nuer are brave like us the Murle. Dinka are are fucking cowards. Cowards always use government power to settle their own tribal interests. Only some bahrgazalis Dinka are somehow brave because on the assault to liberate Pibor the very first time in 1987, those who attacked the Ismail Konyi militias and chased them away were just Murle SPLA fighters and Bahrgazali Dinka. In that war, SPLA suffered heavy casualties. A lot of Dinka bahrgazal died there along with some of their Murle SPLA comrades. Now the Nuer are allowing themselves to be used by Dinka to finish themselves, Nuer killing Nuer, just to be given second class status. Now all the other tribes should unite against Dinka because of such evil practice by Dinka. If we don’t act now, we are all going to die in these DINKA PRISONS. That was the situation in the bush wìle we were fighting jalaba, we kept fighting our common enemy the arabs, and we ignored Dinka mistreatment to other tribes. They have killed many Murle in those Ghost manslaughter houses or DINKA PRISONS. [email protected]
Fighter
Eastern Equatoria: Torture & jail, a survivor reports
Denying the truth is not the solution. Like the arab spring which has brought powerful dictators down, much more powerful than Salva Kiir and all dinkas, we need our own South Sudan spring started by us the educated. Dinka, especially the bad ones who deny the truth, go to hell. But bravo to those good Dinka who admit the truth.
Bor Koch
Eastern Equatoria: Torture & jail, a survivor reports
Iam a dinka and I hate my tribe for one thing. lack of understanding and bad judgement. Good Dinka like me ‘ll die because of those horrible bad Dinka. I really hate my tribe. Please Mr Wani, don’t stay there with that pain, its ok for you to standup and let the word hear your voice, it’s a true speaking. we Dinka have madeup enemies with everytribes arround us. I wished all fellow Dinkas to read my articles and understand what it means, we need unity. No more tortures and war with our beloved neighbouring tribes.