Where do we go from here: chaos or to the community?
8 min readBy Peter Mach Makeer, Kampala, Uganda
July 22, 2015 (SSB) —- While in my little rental house resting somewhere in one of the suburbs in Juba several months ago listening to one of my favorite local radio station, a distant hero’s life was being celebrated marking the 50th anniversary in the heart land of America, he was none other than the famous civil right activist Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. several prominent American people had attended on that day. Among them were Presidents Obama and former president Bill Clinton and Vanessa King (the daughter of the slain hero). The two great leaders delivered their speeches but I cannot recall any of their speeches today. King’s daughter too delivered hers but not all that she had said remained in my mind today, “fifty years ago today, my father Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King jr. mentioned a point and a critical question, were do we go from here? Chaos or to the community?” Again somewhere in her speech I also heard her saying ……… “And might we all say with our resounding voices NO! To chaos and YES! To the community”. How I wish every one of us was listening.
Seventeen months ago, our country on the 15th of December 2013 descended deep into what is today referred to by both sides as meaningless and baseless conflict. Much as it is baseless and meaningless, it has created a rift among the communities that will be difficult to close in the near future as is evidenced from the current war in the country which has pitted the Dinka against the Nuer. Worst still, Nuer is divided into pro and anti-Government which to some is welcomed. This new development will push all of us to ask and answer the King’s question of “where do we go from here, Chaos or to the community”?
As of recent, Malakal was recaptured by Shilluk Militia and Nuer forces loyal to militia commander Johnson Olony who is a Shilluk himself. From unconfirmed sources; Olony took with him a warship full of superior weapons and several armored personnel carriers from the SPLA although it was destroyed by the government in Melut town.
What triggered his rebellion is believed to be rooted in tribal land dispute between Shilluk and their Dinka counterpart. He was one of the people wounded while fighting the Nuer dominated rebel faction of Dr. Riek Machar early on in 2014. What is worrying is the level of armament a tribal militia like Johnson OLony’s has attained so far. If it is not dangerous then nothing in our history will ever be call dangerous.
Western Equatoria has develop a local militia in recent days fighting the Dinka led Government in the name of liberating Equatoria land from the pastoralist who are the Dinka Bor and the Agar Dinka. Before this militia’s formation, western Equatoria state governor was made to deny the statement he has made which was viewed by others to be encouraging the rebellion rather than solving the problem of the pastoralist and the farming communities “who do you want to kill for you the snake in your house” this statement was said several months ago by the governor and he cannot separate himself from the current development in his state today.
The militia now and tomorrow will be busy killing the snake not only in western Equatoria town of Mundri west but in the entire Equatoria. The fear is that, snake may fight back because no citizen deserves to be labeled as a snake anywhere in South Sudan much as there is evident suggesting driving away the pastoralists from farming communities.
It is a common knowledge that South Sudanese must invest greatly in Agricultural sector in order for them to be self-sufficient and reliant. We as a country must not depend on oil money entirely but should encourage our citizens to engage both in animal keeping and crop production. We all know that Uganda provide us with all sorts of things including tomatoes and okra, what a shame.
In my sincere mind, I will agree with the Equatoria farmers who have hosted and tolerated the misdeeds of the Dinka cattle keepers (intended or not) during the period leading up to independent and beyond. Cattle destroy the food crops through grazing, something which is not acceptable by all including the cattle owners themselves. What is needed here is the better way of animal keeping such that they are not in contact with farms; this will include severe punishment by law with impartiality in the event that animals have destroyed someone’s farm.
This great people of Equatoria deserve to be appreciated and encouraged to continue to be receptive of other brothers and sisters elsewhere in the country and not to be encouraged into joining cheap rebellions through militia formation. It will be a shaming if we read the first page of our history book lastly.
These, seemingly, bad cattle keepers are also great citizens of our country; we must judge them wherever necessary as equal citizens. We must not victimized them as cattle keepers, land encroachers and farm destroyers as a step forward to endear ourselves to the hearts of few individual tribes who are our immediate voters.
NO! they are good citizens who must also understand that not everyone benefits directly from their animal proceeds and that they must be made to understand that their economic gains through animals keeping must not deprive other citizens of equal rights through farming and in the event of any individual indiscipline, law must stand as a central pillar regardless of who ever they are and where they come from.
Like I have previously agreed with the opinion of western Equatoria farmers, I am also agreeing with what drove away the Dinka cattle keepers mostly from Bor and Lakes state from their ancestral homes. Insecurity, diseases and draught are what made them to leave their homeland for their neighbors’. South Sudan constitution allows any south Sudanese citizen to live anywhere in the country freely.
Northern Bhar-el-ghazel state is also being rumored as another potential candidate for rebellion under Major General Dau Aturjong who once contested the governorship position and failed in a manner that could not convince him. When Riek Machar rebellion became an issue, Gen. Aturjong joined immediately. If his rebellion in his home town is true as rumored, then we are in for more bloodshed in that region. The goodness is that it has been rumored for much longer than what is taking place in western Equatoria today.
Gen. Aturjong as an equal citizen has equal right to vote and be voted into any office of the land without any mechanical obstruction whatsoever. The law of the land must have been very conscious about it, if Gen. Aturjong is so convinced of his popularity among his people in northern Bhar-el-Ghazal state. Surely, he does not have to kill through rebellion in order to get what they had given him previously. He either waits or resigns from participating in community activities including politics, not rebel formation. Otherwise how will it be explained; “I am killing my people because they love me”
Central and Eastern Equatoria states from my personal point of view are other potential candidates in the race for rebellion any way. Their communities have and are still hosting the bulk of Dinka mostly from Bor as internally displaced by war since the SPLA era and recently during the second war of Dr. Riek Machar to be precise. From the Equatoria’s eyes they are land grabbers not merely as said the internally displaced persons. Their present is not wanted and can serve as a fertile ground for the unwanted thing “Rebellion”. The current development in one outskirt of juba serves as proves should there be a doubt.
My worry is not about the Former state Governor Eng. Chol Tong Mayai when it comes to Lake State’s state of affairs rather it is about the continuous revenge killing right at the door step of the government. The speed at which they are killing each other might be none compared to the speed at which they are reproducing themselves (No immediately available statistic as a proof). But then whatever it means to the government in juba, it must mean worry.
Jonglei state, my home state is not any different from those that I have mentioned above, George Athor Deng was there but his life and his rebellion was concluded long time ago, Mama Rebecca Nyandeng and her son (Mabior Garang Mabior) are there but I am not worried about them (so strong yet so weak).
Newly created state has someone I must be worried about; David Yau Yau has no different with Johnson Olony. He is currently the Chief Administrator of the Greater Pibor Administrative area, once a militia himself and still commanding big armed youth (Anything any time can happen).
Ladies and gentlemen, what we hear from every angle of our country is either a rebellion or a rumored rebellion. In your sincere mind, are we not supposed to ask ourselves this king’s question? Where do we go from here? Chaos or to the community?
The writer is a finalist environmental health science student at Cavendish University Uganda, He can be reach at pemachatong@gmail.com; or +256781600832.
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