South Sudan’s Nyuong-Nuer community accuses members of blackmailing rebel leader
July 24, 2015 (KAMPALA) – Nyuong-Nuer community of Panyijiar county in the oil-rich Unity state in South Sudan has accused members of the community of greed for positions and attempt to blackmail the rebel leader, Riek Machar, in order to give them assignments in the armed opposition faction.
According to the community leadership based in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, they claimed that a group of individuals they did not name, including a former minister in Unity state who comes from the Nyuong-Nuer community, met in Nairobi last week and demanded from the rebel leader, Machar, that they should be assigned to positions in the rebel movement, or else their community may decide to stay neutral in the current war against president Salva Kiir’s government.
Peter Biangoang Yoak, chairman of Nyuong-Nuer community in Kampala told Sudan Tribune on Friday that the demand by ex-officials who hail from the community was unacceptable and did not represent the position of the community, describing it as “rubbish.”
He said in a meeting of the community of Payinjiar county in Kampala on Friday, the group discussed the revelation and condemned the officials for attempting to blackmail the rebel leadership and condition their support in the struggle to positions.
“This is not the time to go for positions, but it is time to liberate our citizens from dictatorial leadership [of Salva Kiir],” he said.
He said Payinjiar communities of Nyuong-Nuer on the ground are in full support of the armed opposition faction led by the former vice president, Machar, saying the area had since remained in full control of the rebel faction.
Bichok Toang, also a member of Payinjiar community in Kampala said he was very disappointed over the demand by individuals who claimed to be representing the Nyuong-Nuer community in Nairobi without coordinating or consulting with various Nyuong-Nuer communities around the globe.
He accused them of prioritizing positions rather than fighting for the rights of thousands of members of the Nuer ethnic group who were massacred in the national capital, Juba, when the war began in December 2013.
“If you want to go to Juba, do not dirty the whole community but go yourself and negotiate for your interest,” he said, referring to the community officials whom he described as “opportunists.”
Kawai Kuer Kai, another South Sudanese from Payinjiar community residing in West-Nile, Arua, also described the position seekers as “disgruntled group” who cared less about the root causes of the conflict.
“The Nyuong-Nuer community will never forget the Juba massacre administered by government of Salva Kiir. We shall not disappoint our blood brothers because of positions and interests,” he said.
He said Payinjiar communities in Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt and South Sudan have also disagreed with the Nairobi group’s meeting, which they said was an isolated demand.
The Nyuong-Nuer community, he said, also called on IGAD, AU, TROIKA and UN to allow for publication of report on human rights abuses against South Sudanese people, adding the community was yearning to see justice served by bringing to account perpetrators of the crime.
The community leadership said they remained in full support of the opposition’s leadership to change the country.
(ST)