The fear against fear
My case with Ayuel Taupiny and others
By Dak Buoth
On 18th May, 2019, I made a public claims that I feared for my life, following the threats I received from the above mentioned and others, and that i had reported the threats to the police in the city of Nairobi on this 17th day of May, 2019. Their statement via phone telling me i must go where they were failure to which, they will come for me without my consent is a perfect threats. And when I asked their names they failed to identify themselves except Ayuel Taupiny who revealed his name out of arrogance and ignorance of the law.
If someone tells you come or he come for you by force that is a threat which warrant legal sanction. On 17th may 2019 when I reported the case to the police, Ayuel Taupiny was called by the officer who attended to me, and ordered to come immediately.
Soon he came to central police accompanied by Pourich Marial, his school mate. Upon arrival, we started hugging and smiling at each other, while aware who he is, and what his intentions are. A man who managed to put General Malong Awan and company to the right pocket while aiming at putting the embassy of South Sudan to the left pocket is not a guy we can take for granted. Those who know Ayuel Taupiny will agree that he is perfect example of the wolf in sheep skin. He suffers immensely from ‘Recency’ and he had no iota of appreciation for the good you did to him, and as such, he is not a good Dinka. In any case, I would be the last person he would seek to harm, if he had mastered the arts of appreciation. When you compare him with other good Dinkas around us, you will find one comparison, which is that he speaks Dinka dialect like them. To tell you the truth, Ayuel Taupiny has not learn what war is all about in terms of benefits and losses. Many of us knows that war is an expensive phenomenon that you don’t direct and apply on every innocent person you find near you. Usually, there is reconciliation and forgiveness before the fight; and that is why you hear people saying war is the last option. The people of nowadays fight in self-defense. Hence, nobody should initiate any war on others for sake of it.
There is saying in Nuer, ‘‘echi mok liel ngish, which means, someone does what he gets used to. There are reasons to believe that Ayuel Taupiny had made false claims which I can be arrested for on 16th, May 2019. On 4th May, 2019, Ayuel made fictitious claims of assault against four South Sudanese university students which eventually led to their arrest at Milimani police station.
Luckily, an efforts were made by the family members and people of good-will, which led to their eventual release. Among those arrested on claims by Ayuel Taupiny includes, John Yath Majak, Master student, United States international University, Santo Agook, Student, Daystar University, Makur Mabok, International Leadership University, and General William Nyuon, student, Eldoret Polytechnic University College. Others went into hiding by changing hostels and area of resident for sometimes. As we speaks, we still don’t know where he got resources to make his things works against us. I am sure he is leaning on some people who are behind him, but the day he get dough he will fall. As at now, we will have to seek help to counter his daily advances on poor students. He went and made claims that the above mentioned students had assaulted him at Bahr El ghazel student dinner somewhere in Nairobi. These people are senior individuals who had abandoned physical confrontation way back. Any reasonable person can imagine, if these butch of men descended on him with blows, I am sure we would be talking of another Ayuel today.
However, it is because Ayuel Taupiny had not been advice or made to learn a lesson from these fishy deals, that is why he cooked stories to have me done in the wrong way as he did to the aforementioned students.
On his arrival at police station on 17th may 2017, the officers made him to sit comfortably and asked: why did you called Dak with different phone numbers threatening him, and what were you seeking from him on 16th May, 2019. He began saying, hoo Dak is my friend, my brother, my colleague, and that he didn’t have any problem with me up to now; that the problem was because he had called me with his phone number that I don’t have; adding that he is student leader, that there was planned demonstration by group of Red Card movement sponsored by Rebel, Paul Malong Awan to overthrow President Salva Kiir, and that so as student leader he was working with others and Kenya police to make sure such demonstrations do not take place, that the government of Kenya did not allowed the demonstration to take place. He said since the demonstration did not take place on 16th may, 2019, he no longer have problem with me. He continued peddling that Dak is an Activist, member and architect of the Red Card movement; that Dak is a supporter of Riek Machar; that Dak has never missed in any demonstration held in Nairobi. It is not true that I never missed in all demonstrations in Nairobi. I still remember in May 2018, the last demonstration which marked his decamping from Paul Malong to Salva Kiir was done and led by none other than Ayuel Taupiny himself after the aborted conference at six eighty hotel. In his false explanation, he fell short of telling the officer the identities and the names of the people he threatened me with on 16th May, 2019.
The moment he finished talking, Pourich Marial who accompanied him was told to comment if he had something to add on the claims. When Pourich spoke he contradicted and denied some of his claims. He said Dak was not a member or planner of the demonstration by Red card movement, reasons being he did not see me writing or posting anything about that red movement and its activities online ahead of the day of the demonstration; adding that Dak is nationalist and peace Activist whom he is very proud of; that there are no evidences showing that Dak was part of the Red Card movement demonstration all. As Pourich was talking, I could see the police woman nodding repeatedly on how he was refuting the claims. At last, Pourich pleaded for forgiveness and reconciliation between I and Ayuel by shaking hand in front of the police officers before we leave. After Pourich Marial, I was told to respond, and give the way forward also. I refuted all his claims. I told the officers I came to the police station to report a threat by him and others he knows; that I feared for my life following the threats they made, that some south Sudanese had been abducted and kidnapped in Nairobi through such ways and means; that since a threat is crime, keeping quiet with these serious threats will amount to abetting the crime. Secondly, I said when they called me, i asked them to meet me today in the police station to tell me what they were looking from me, and here I am. Fourth, I told the officers that he was lying again by saying he was student leader. On other claims, I said Riek Machar whom he claimed I support is leader who signed the peace accord in September 2018, and that the Red Card movement is also doing legal things like demonstrations which are provided for by our laws and the constitution in Kenya and South Sudan; and that if they described me as supporter of Riek Machar and associated me with the Red card movement, so be it.
I also responded on the lie he made in his oral statement, that the Embassy of South Sudan has asked the Kenyan government to stop the demonstration by Red Card Movement ahead of the 16th may 2019 holiday. I am sure the authorities and people in Kenya operate and acts within the confines of the law that operationalizes the embassy of South Sudan in Nairobi. And that the same law and constitution allows any activities which it does not prohibits. I remember in the statement written by the embassy, they only notified the foreign affairs ministry of the planned demonstration by the red card movement, and further requested for the security personnel to manned the embassy premises, during the planned demonstration. The letter from the embassy did not order the Kenya government to stop any demonstration by South Sudanese as claimed by Ayuel Taupiny. Lastly, on the way forward, I advised the police to let him go, with a hope that he will refrain from such behaviours that contravene the law. I concluded by congratulating the police officer (s) who happened to be a lady for her professional services in handling the matter. I felt I was well served and satisfied.
Surprisingly, on 18th May 2019 when I wrote a statement informing my people and friends that I reported a threat by Ayuel to the police, he released another statement saying many things including that I also endangered his life. If that is partly true, then he has himself to blame. He keeps saying time and again that I am a controversial person. I wondered, how I became controversial by communicating such things like threats by him. Nonetheless, he could be right because as a trained security professional, I learned that the contemporary solution to insecurity is when things are brought to the light for public viewing and hearing. Anything bad thrives in darkness, which is why you find where there is electricity and cctvs, criminals and thugs hidden and disappeared because they fear to be identified and monitored. In view of the above, Ayuel cannot cry foul like me because I only stated the facts and encounters which I had with him and the police regarding the threats they made to me. I didn’t do any mistake by reporting the case. I just felt obliged to inform the people like I inform the police of the worries and fear caused by him and others he knows.
The writer is the chairman of Unity State community in Kenya, he can be reached for comment via [email protected]