Anyuak community complain of increasing insecurity in Akobo
April 29, 2013 (BOR) – Elders and leaders from the Anuak community in Jonglei state have blamed high levels of insecurity in Akobo county on members of the Nuer ethnic group who also live in the area.
The Anuak community presented a letter, signed by Anyuak intellectuals in the national and state governments, detailing their complaint over the situation in Akobo to the Governor of Jonglei state late the last week. A copy was also sent to the President of the republic of South Sudan, Head of United Nations Mission in South Sudan and South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission.
The document said that since the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which brought an end to the Sudanese civil war and led to South Sudan’s independence, the Akobo Anyuak has been more insecure than the rest of South Sudan.
“The few Anyuak who were present at Alali Payam and Akobo town itself lived and still live under intense intimidation by the Nuer, especially now that the Anyuak population has increased in Akobo town and villages across the river,”said the letter addressed to Governor.
Anyuak representatives in Akobo including the Chief have reported many cases of intimidation and killings to the successive Commissioners but little had been done to improve the situation, the letter said.
A series of commissioners, including Goi Jooyul, have used used food as a tool against Anuak returnees, the letter alleges, also accusing him of denying Anuak citizens access to land to cultivate their own crops.
Hit and run was used to frame the Murle. Houses constructed by Anyuak were pulled down by the Nuer who was then identified, taken to prison and released without a day in court.”
The document accused Nuer ethnic tribe persons and their politicians: “this time around it is more of open attacks on the Anyuak. The Nuer move around with guns and firing over Anyuak heads to frustrate them to leave Akobo. This is the mission of the politicians,” read the letter.
Letter gave accounts of many incidents witnessed by some individuals of Anuak members in Akobo as they appreared.
It [letter]said a young man who was washing his cloths at the river bank was chased by Nuer gunmen and crossed the river was rescued by some kind people. His cloths were looted.
Anyuak young men who were fishing where chased away by group of Nuer gun men who spotted them and hunted down and shot one young man who is now in the hospital in Akobo town.
They said that this time the Commissioner found it difficult to ignore it He went to old Akobo on the request of the Anyuak Chief to see the victim[s]. Most women and children had fled to Tergol, Ethiopia.
The Commissioner had issued 32 rifles each to Burmath and Dengjok for Community police but did not give the Alali Payam. He admitted this in Bor when the MPs asked him. But at Old Akobo when confronted by the Community he denied that he gave bullets only but not guns. ‘Where are our bullets’? He was asked. He could not give any satisfactory answer.
They said, “We, the Anyuak are frustrated. The Anyuak want to return in numbers as already seen. With these upward advances of insecurity, the future does not look good to us when we see that the Government has no sure protection for the Anyuak. The Nuer have been officially allowed to own guns since the last attack on Lou by ‘Yauyau’s men’. At Akobo, the Commissioner gave guns to his people of Burmath and Dengjok. The Government is not looking at the Anyuak with the same eye with others.”
“Why is the Government keeping quiet while the Anyuak are suffering at the hands of the Nuer? They wondered.
“We have pleaded for justice by writing to the Jonglei Assembly. Nothing happened.
“We will not give up. We are asking the office of the Governor to advise the Akobo Commissioner to present himself as a representative for all and not for one section of the society even though he is under pressure from his senior politicians,” continued the letter.
Anuak also claimed the lost border line of 1956 with Anuak Nuer, that had maxe Nuer to encroached into Anuak’s land.
To avoid problems, “we want the border re-instated. Even with oil money the Anyuak have not benefited at all in any form including the CDFs. Therefore, let the Nuer go to Diror with budgets. The coming oil money has no use to us because we do not have access to it. We will survive on our land, the rivers and the forests.”
(ST)