Demarcating borders essential for North-South peace: NGO
September 3, 2011 (BENTIU) – Demarcating the border between Sudan and newly independent South Sudan will help build a sustainable peace between the two countries, a representative from Concordis International – a conflict resolution NGO – said on Saturday.
Mandy Gardner, Concordis’ South Sudan country director told Sudan Tribune at a workshop in Bentui that one of the biggest challenges for communities on either side of the world’s newest international border is the lack of trade.
After South Sudan’s independence last month as part of a 2005 peace deal, Sudan has restricted the flow of goods southwards to its new neighbour.
The border areas are full of weapons that are in the possession of the armies in the two states, other armed groups and civilians. Border tensions are high with conflict ongoing in two states of North Sudan.
Fighting between allies of South Sudan’s ruling party the Sudan’s People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the Sudanese army in Blue Nile state, which borders South Sudan, broke out in the early hours of Friday.
Last June, conflict also erupted in South Kordofan , another border state, between the SPLM’s norther sector (SPLM-N) and the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF).
As well as South Sudanese returning to the country, northern residents from the two states have also crossed into South Sudan to escape the fighting. According to Concordis the movement of people and trade into South Sudan is being blocked by North Sudan resulting in dramatically increasing food prices and shortages.
In late August Makuc Makuc Ngongdit, a political advisor to the governor of South Sudan’s Warrap state governor said prices have increased in all states that border the North.
“Prices of basic commodities have increased. This is because the government in Khartoum has closed the supplying routes not only for Warrap but for other neighbouring states at the borderline”, said Makuc.
Concordis’ South Sudan director said it was “unfortunate” that prices of food have “increased dramatically” making it “harder and harder to get food”. She also expressed concern over the number of small arms in the border areas leading “killing and harassment”.
Gardner added that there is a need to put pressure on both sides to have a peaceful resolution to border issues. A deal on the demilitarising the border has not be implemented.
In Unity state, she said, people are very interested in having a soft border but that there is a problem with nomadic groups from Sudan crossing into South Sudan.
Gardner said if communities on both sides treated each other with respect it would be in both their interests to have a border over which North and South Sudanese could travel, trade freely and carry on with their lives.
She added that communities in the border areas were interested in having a say in the ongoing high-level negotiations between South Sudan’s SPLM and Khartoum’s National Congress Party (NCP). Most of the oil wealth of the two countries lies in the border areas.
Concordis has offices in Khartoum and Juba “and so had been able to work closely on both sides at the border and undertake complementary activities”, Gardner said. She said her NGO tries to work impartially with all sides.
“We are not here to side with one [side] but just to talk with people and bring them together, facilitate their discussions and their relations so that they can do so many peaceful dialogues among themselves.”
Malual Manyiel Ayuel a paramount chief of Parieng County of Unity state, said that not having a clearly defined border makes promoting peace challenging as people do not know who owns what land. He said that groups from South Kordofan claim land, which is also claimed by communities in Unity state.
Demarcating the border, Ayuel added would make administration and governance of the border easier to manage. He asked for international assistance to demarcate the ill-defined border, a relic left by Sudan’s colonial ruler Britain when the country gained independence in 1956.
Ayuel accused the Misseriya – an Arab cattle herding tribe based in South Kordofan – of disturbing people crossing the border. The Misseriya are also involved the dispute over Abyei, a fertile oil region claimed by both countries.
As part of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement Abyei was due to vote on whether to join South Sudan or remain north of the border. The vote did not go ahead as South Sudan refused to let the Misseriya take part in the vote. The Dinka Ngok, a southern aligned tribe and residents of the area, should be the only participants, the SPLM said.
Before South Sudan’s independence, Khartoum imposed military rule in Abyei and deposed the civilian administration. A new UN force from Ethiopia is now deploying to oversee SAF’s withdrawal from the area.
Joseph Madak Both Wuol Director general of policy, Research and Monitoring office at South Sudan’s presidency said, that the border should be demarcated with the help of the international community.
He added that demarcating the border as well as state, county and ethnic boundaries was a priority of his government. Wuol pointed out that the president of South Sudan Salva Kiir Mayardit has appointed his deputy Riek Machar to oversee the process which he said was important to South Sudan’s communities.
Woul added: “Now the new government is formed, they will continue working very hard to push this exercise seriously”.
(ST)
Dinka Dominated SPLA/M
Demarcating borders essential for North-South peace: NGO
Demarcating of border should be put as a first step in the Government of south sudan since the fake arab of sudan thinks that they own the land of black people.
But i am so distracted by south sudan president for appointed Riek machar to be the one oversee the process of demarcation of border because this Riek can never be trust by minded people due to his low thinking capbility. Riek machar cannot be given a task which he could not manage to carry out sucessfully, look how many time did he sucess of reslved any disputs in south or in sudan rether than supporting khartoum gov?
some people in south sudan don’t ve intelligency to understand Riek machar ability of doing things batter,
people are very confuse some people think that because Riek machar being a vice president mean that he is good at what he can do but that is not how it work, he[Riek machar] has been sellected in oreder to silence his greedy of power off.
Believe it or not Riek machar is a disease in south sudan just because he need power like nothings in his life. he is also selfish man who love non other than his stomach.
He is a man that when he is defeat politicaly, he resort into tribal politcs which mean that his own ability of do jobs is by orgnised the nuer gangs and tell them to carry out his self interest which is his intake which he think that it will not intact nuer as a south sudan community,
people of south sudan, Riek machar is not a frindly with people whom he don’t have anythings to gain from them. he is a a man of instalmant.
the way i see Riek machar in the government of south sudam make me sick and thinks of mafia and hertle.
He is a symbol of death in nuer societies.
Appointing him to oversee the very important issues such as this border Demarcation is a jake and the south sudan government will be a jake because him Riek Machar have hindding agenda of reducing Dinkas population by giving a way Abyei to Arab just like what his granparents did when they give a way part of the nuer community to Ethoipian,
Keeping Riek machar in the government is doom and wicked and if there is any minded person who can see this hidding agenda. riek could be remove and replace by other good nuer if the post was for them [nuer].
Good is great and he can remove Riek machar without man saying it,
Aliny pathou
Demarcating borders essential for North-South peace: NGO
Thanks my chief malual manyiel for telling the truths.
Yes, border needs to be demarcated to avoid the future war, between the South and North Sudan.
For, instead the Aliny(Heglig) case, is very disheartening and disappointing to locals residents of Parieng County.
There is no way that, Aliny can be a Northern land.
Aliny is not and can never be a part of Northern Sudan.
mohammed ali
Demarcating borders essential for North-South peace: NGO
Dinka,
You are simply waiting for somebody from outside with white skin and green eyes to listen to!
When these ” fake Arabs” called for demarcation of the bordere , your ” fake” SPLA was not listening. Salva Kiir went to America to moblize all the support for referundum first then demarcation. Now only when somebody says the truth which you refuted earlier , you start ” as usual” to blame the Arabs!
I agree 200% with the report that local populatio at the borders should be left alone without any interference from politicians from either side. They donnot care about the bull shit which is cooked in either Khartoum or Juba. They donnot care about Basheer, Salva, Visa, Border…bla and they are not interested to know! Neither do any of the government care about them.
One more thing Mr. Domination : just pray to god that the relationship between Machar and Salva remain stable! Any preach to this partenership would mean that the RoSS would almost vanish from the map, without any interference from the jalabba. It will be dooms day. Keep remembering this!
It is far better to keep your hatred to Neuer or Machar for yourself; that is if there is any good in hatred.
Mading Makuac
Demarcating borders essential for North-South peace: NGO
Dear Dinka nominated SPLM/A
pliz respect Dr.Riek Machar ,with the position he is in and
his title means alot.what u ‘d know our leaders symbolize
our unity and lastly Dr.Riek is really working, the
problem is that he is working in a dictatorship govt &
that why there ‘s no change and one day one time he
will bring change to this nation
Mading Makuac
Demarcating borders essential for North-South peace: NGO
Fucking Mohammed Ali,
YOU should have to comment with boundaries .Don’t abuse
the whole tribe ,ok?deal only with one person either kir
or anyone else you think is corrupt!!!
Moses Lemi Jada
Demarcating borders essential for North-South peace: NGO
The So-called Concordis International should close their office in Juba instead of coming here to brain wash us, it would have not been necessary for the entire South Sudanese to exert or waste their efforts or energy to conduct the referendum that cost us drearily. The so-called Concordis should either be on one side rather than trying to bring the people who had decided their fate by choosing their own destiny the now ‘Republic of South Sudan.’ Such motive we might term them as being spy or doing espionage work.
The Concordis is too late in the day; they ought to have been here 20 or so years ago with their impartial role or ‘advise’, and they ought to have seen the extent of damage the forced unity for the people of South Sudan and the other marginalized areas had shouldered. Therefore, I would advise them to go to other areas that are still intact or at the verge of disintegration to go and lure the international assistance or funding for survival instead of wasting their time in Juba.
The border demarcation is necessary and all South Sudanese communities know their own borders, and now that we have separated from the Old Sudan, the authority of Republic of South Sudan should handle it smartly without losing any inch of piece of land, because we will never be silent should any mistake be made by our leaders. ‘We are watching very keenly’
We are blessed with some of the most brilliant brains in the Republic of South Sudan and we should not rely on the food production coming from the north which is a desert and is a high time that we should learn to do our own things by promoting agriculture sector instead of relying always on steamer ‘Baboor’ coming from Kosti bringing Dura “Sorghum.”
Dinkanuer
Demarcating borders essential for North-South peace: NGO
Riek + machar is = Disaster over Black Death
A greedy man who fails everything single day but like to be in a charge, will do nothing at all! How was the peace? Between Lord Resistant Army (LRA) and the Ugandan government. In this case we need thoughtful man like James Wanni to lead the peace process with our neighbors.
For those who are still using Ngundeng ideologies, please be inform! Ngundeng had shameful things to be said about him. First,
He was not a Prophet but a profit to his royalist in Nuer.
He had many names according to his activities in many parts of South Sudan.
He was a Cannibal animal according to Nuer man who doesn’t need to be mentioned
His first name was Ngundeng-meaning that he was send by God.
After he gone wild and ran away.
His name changed to be Gatluakmanguel in Nuer dialect.
He ate many Nuer men and women in Nuer Land
Dinka. His name was Manyang e Juet.
He ate many children, animal claviers and cows’s bulls in Dinka Land.
Equatoria with different languages including English and Arabic
His name was Tiger
The Nuer man who refused to be target by Ngundeng’s salves pointed out that. Ngundeng had no father or mother but the Devil who came out in the River Nile in a form of fish, when the Nuer boys want for fishing. They fish for so many hours and they caught nothing, when the boys get tied and ready to go back home. One of them told other guys that there was a fish ate his hook lastly, the boy convinced other friends to tried one more time! Shortly after he putted on snail body on the hook, he had thrown it into Nile River. Immediately, Ngundeng was caught. The boy was attempting to pull the Fish Ngundeng out in the river but it was difficult for him to do so, then he called his associates to pull Ngundeng on the shore. They brought it out and they were smile some of them were told to go and collect firewood in order for the young men to roast their fish.
Unfortunately! The Fish Ngundeng changed into big snake! And the boys ran away from it, the boys thought that they were dreaming and they came back for the second times. The Snake Ngundeng light it body and become bright as well as electricity light. They ran home and they spread the news to the community, when the Nuer elders came to the place where Ngundeng was pulled. It was still there as snake with it light. People gather together around it and started asking question how did this happen? The Snake Ngundeng changed into human being and told people not to run away. All of them were shocking and scary to death except Human Ngundeng who perform such witchcraft. things “Come down, come down now!” The Human Ngundeng said. Who are you? The Nuer elders asked him. I am Nyajok_ which mean woman devil! The Human Ngundeng answer! She knew her own physical appearance as she is a hermaphrodite. (A person with both the organs of a man and a woman) Wow! Brothers and sisters of Nuer I am sorry for your Profit. Nyajok Ngundeng was not a Prohet? It was your profit to cheat people for his power but It was not a Prophet? It was a Satan?
Cie liel du dem e mac!
mohammed ali
Demarcating borders essential for North-South peace: NGO
Mading,
Irrespective of your profani; I have never abused any tribe. I will be grateful if you could tell me where did I abuse any tribe! On the contrary , I was warning your fellow from being too tribalistic.
Read my comment again and try to understand it!