Husbands and wives from other tribes reunite in Warrap and Unity regions

May 24, 2016 (BENTIU) – At least two women among many women separated with husbands in the two years violent conflict have been reunited with their husbands or families in Warrap region, according to Unity state’s Mayom County commissioner.

Commissioner of Mayom county, John Bol Mayak, said the two wives from Bul Nuer community who were married to Dinka of Warrap region ran away from their husbands in fear of revenge killings when the war sparked mainly between the two tribes in 2013.

They claimed that unlike the Nuer who did not target their wives from other tribes, the Dinka community members did not spare wives married to them from the Nuer once such wars erupted in the past between the Nuer and the Dinka.

Mayak told Sudan Tribune that there were many cases of women who had deserted their husbands from the Dinka ethnic group during the crisis for safety reasons and would now want to reunite with them after peace.

He said the initiative to reunite Dinka and Nuer couples came as a result of the ongoing efforts to establish border security between Warrap and Unity regions, with joint border courts to be established.

“This is the first step we have taken to reunite women with their husbands in Apuk North County, and these ladies were in Mayom County for the last two years, and now we have decided to return them to their husbands after peace,” Commissioner Mayak said.

He also said many Dinka women from the neighbouring Warrap region who were also married to Nuer men from Unity state also fled back to the Dinka territories and also want to come back to their Nuer husbands in Unity state.

“The same task we have thrown it to the authorities in Warrap region to do the same to identify those women having been separated by war to return them back to their husbands,” he added.

Mayak further encouraged that South Sudanese should promote intermarriage between tribes as a tool to help reduce the feeling of tribalism in the country.

Although traditionally, Nuer and Dinka historically describe themselves as brothers, the border conflicts in addition to political power struggles have ruined their historical bond for decades.

Cattle raiding along their common borders have also added fuel to their ongoing political differences, with the worse scenario of the deadly crisis that erupted on 15 December 2013 that further divided the people along ethnic lines.

(ST)