Duk county youth protest against alleged Jonglei land grab
November 13, 2013 (BOR) – Youth from Duk county held a protest on Monday in Jonglei alleging that Pajut, the headquarters of Panyang district of Duk county, was attacked and occupied by Lou Nuer youth on Monday 11 November.
“We the community of Duk County, are humbly tendering this petition to your office beseeching your intervention in the current tendency by a number of attacks instigated against the communities of county of Duk County since 2005 by Uror county youth and supported by their political leaders in the state and the national government of the Republic of South Sudan to illegally annex Eastern parts of Duk County to Uror County”, the petition addressed to the state acting governor’s office said.
After the resignation of the former governor, Kuol Manyang Juuk, in August his deputy Hussein Maar has assumed the role of acting governor as well as continuing his role as deputy governor and Jonglei’s minister of information and communication.
“With all these aggressions and forceful attempts to occupy the Eastern part of Duk County, we the people of Duk County have never attacked or even get attempted to attack any of our neighboring counties”, continues the petition.
“We therefore, as Duk County community wonder if the State and national governments has preference of what communities they should protect because these attacks have been going on and the government is very well informed about all these. We condemn this attack in the strongest terms.”
According to sources in Duk headquarters of Mareng, the attack took place on Monday, where five members of Lou Nuer youth were killed and a unknown number injured. Four young men from Duk county are reported to have been injured.
A member of the Duk county community, Ngor Manyok, told Sudan Tribune that the fighting began over a migration dispute.
The protestors in Bor requested that the government order the immediate withdrawal of Uror youth from Pajut, assess the situation in Pajut an provide compensation for looted goods and livestock.
Jonglei MPs representing both counties condemned the violence and urged the state government to help restore peace between the two communities.
The state acting governor told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday evening that he was trying his best to ensure the Lou Nuer youth retreat to Uror.
“I am trying to solve the problem now. The youth of Lou Nuer were asked to go back, and the army will be moved to occupy Pajut to avoid such fighting”, he said.
Sources in Patuenoi and Mareng said that the attackers left Pajut on Wednesday afternoon, with looted cattle, goats and other items in the villages of Pajut after spending two days there.
(ST)