Lou-Nuer’s Territorial Expansion must be Confronted and Curtailed Immediately

Lou Territorial Expansion must be curtailed and confronted

By Jay Johnson (Juba, South Sudan)

I am writing this article at the backdrop of recent unprovoked and unjustified attack on Pajut town by well armed Lou Nuer Youth from Wuror county. The attack was needless and a drawback to the relative calm and peace which had prevail for the last 3 years, between the Rumajok Gon Lou and Duk Dinka of Duk county. Contrary to earlier reports, the Rumajok youth are still in Pajut town looting every property they can lay their hand on.

Like the Wernyol ( 2006) and Duk Padiet (2009) attack, in which 200 innocent civilians lost their lives, the Pajut attack by Rumajok Gon Lou Youth and civilian was unjustified. Hundreds of attacks against Duk Dinka , dating back to the 19th century, seem to have not satisfied the unsatisfiable Lou lust for Duk Dinka bloods and their land.

The history of Lou Nuer with her neighbors have been a history of land grab,contempt, antagonism, bully,bigotry, intimidation, cattle raiding and looting. The Mor and Rumajok for instance, had been at war with the Akobo Anyuak and Duk Dinka over land and cattle.

The battle over Khor Geni/Biem toic, between Mor Lou and Murle, in which the former had prevail had forced the latter to look north into Gaajok Nuer territory, creating further conflict between Gaajok and Mor Lou.

The Lou in most cases, be it land or cattle raiding have been the aggressor and the guilty party. For instance, existing data and records show that the Lou, the Rumajok and Mor in particular have carried out 25 deadliest and devastating raids, mostly on Duk Dinka since the British colonial period. In contrast, the Dinka have carried out only 3 raids against the Lou.

This data alone substantiate the claim about the Lou Nuer as the culprit and instigator in most of these conflicts. It was only in 1911 that the Anyuak manage to launch a deadly raid on Lou, which went as far as Gawaar Nuer, killing a lot of Nuer in the process. Since then, the Anyuak have never attack their neighbor, the Mor Lou.

The Ciro/Akobo Anyuak and Nyarweng Dinka have been the victim of Lou agression and land grabbing compaign. The Anyuak have lost 60% of thier land to Mor Lou, and continue to be displace from their villages through intimidation and violence means.

The Nyarweng on the other hand have also lost close to 40% of their land to the Rumajok Gon Lou since the 19th century. At one time, the whole of Nyarweng and Hol Dinka territory was abandoned and vacated 10 years because of combined Lou, Gawaar, Thiang and Lak Nuer agression. This was during the mid 19th century.

As a result, most of Nyarweng and Hol Dinka migrated to Lou, Twi and Bor because of famine created by Nuer cattle raiding, crops destruction and indsicriminate burning of shelters.The Hol mostly went to Twi while the Nyarweng went to Bor. Most of these Hol and Nyarweng refugees never return home when peace was restored. Best example is the Angaac clan of Awulian who are said to be related to Angaac section of Hol Dinka.

This was one of the most difficult period for the Dinka of Duk county as it explains the dispersal of their population, with some migrating to the Rumajok Lou country becoming the Rumajok Nuer we know today.

It was when the British defeat the Madhist that the Nyarweng and Hol territory was resettle and populate. Even the successful chief of Nyarweng and paramount chief of Bor district, Deng Malual was born and orphaned in Bor, which is where most Nyarweng sought refuge. The attack on Pajut by Rumajok Lou remind them of Lou and Gawaar brutality, often triggering the horror and terror of past memories of brutal attacks.

Why do Lou continue to killed and encroach on Anyuak and Nyarweng Dinka Land?

Generally, the Nuer have contempt for other people.This is particularly true with the cattle keeping segment of Nuer society, who view Dinka as people that exist to be kill, raid for cattle and robbed of property such as land. Despite close geographical proximity, the Nuer do not generally speak Dinka because of their bigot and negative attitudes toward them. Rarely do Nuer adopted Dinka names. Most Nuer with Dinka name are of Dinka origin.

The Dinka by contrast, speak fluent Nuer. Most Dinka communities who share border with Nuer Like Ngok, Luac, Ruweng Paweny, Rut, Thoi, Dongjol, Hol and Nyarweng speak Nuer and have also adopted Nuer Names.This Nuer contempt for Dinka and other people have negatively affected the Duk Dinka and Akobo Anyuak more than any other community in South Sudan.

The cattle keeping Nuer do not differentiate between mythology, legend and reality. They believe literally the mythology of COW and CALF as the reason the Nuer should raid and kill Dinka to avenge the stolen calf. They also believe that most Naath people where created under the Koat tree in Liech, which is locate in Jagei Nuer country in Western Nuerland. Moreover, some continue to believe that some Nuer clans and lineages fell from the sky.

As most of you will agree, myth are invented to explain certain phenomenon which are beyond human comprehension. For instance, the mythology of cow and calf try to explain the rivarly and an endless conflicts between Nuer and Dinka. Myths can not be taken literally, which is what the cattle keeping Nuer do.And who in the 21st century still believe in nonsense mythologies of creation?

Another element explaining the persistent Rumajok attack of Duk Dinka can be understood as the fulfilment of Ngundeng prophecy. As most of you know, the Nuer prophet, Ngundeng Bong hails from Lou Nuer. Most Lou believe in his prophecies and they feel that they have a duty to make them become true.

When Dr. Riek Machar Puot Nyuon, a new prophet of the cattle keeping Lou blessed and authorize the brutal genocidal war and ethnic cleansing against the Jonglei Dinka in 1991, it was interpret and justified as something predict and prophecize 100 years ago by Ngundeng Bong. They could not also refuse the command of prophet, Dr. Riek Machar Puot Nyuon, because he was the left handed Black Turuk prophecize by the prophet Ngundeng.

So they went and brutally attacked Jonglei Dinka as a fulfilment of Ngundeng prophecy. And of course they were killing the slaves, the Dinka who were created to be raid for their cattle and killed, a belief widely held by Nuer militias and civilians. So the attackers, by killing Dinka civilians absolve themselves from any moral responsibility and guilt. They were powerless and can do nothing because it was predicted by Ngundeng and more importantly, they were killing the Dinka who exist merely to be raid because of the calf their ancestor stole from Naath forefather

And I can go on and on but this is not the topic of the article. But I want you to understand the pyschology and mindset of Dr. Riek and cattle keeping Nuer lust for Dinka blood and land. I can only refers my readers to Gordon Buay Malek article on PAAN LUEL WEL websites, published last friday. Please read it. It is very informative and was written by an insider, a Nuer himslef if there is any question about the accuracy of his article.

What the cattle keeping Nuer and Dr. Riek Machar Puot Nyuon fail to understand is the peaceful nature of divinity of DENG. Deng like Garang, Abuk, Maleng and Ring are some of the peaceful Dinka Gods who dont embrace violence.

Deng, as a divinity was adopted from Dinka by Ngundeng. Even the famous Ngundeng mound was adopted and modelled after Piom Ayuel in Pangak and Luang Deng in western Gawaar. If there is doubt, look no farther than Western Nuer and see if there is mound and Deng as kwoth. Deng was a dinka divinity adopted for good intention by Ngundeng. But somehow, it is been hijacked by Dr.Riek, some politicians and the cattle keeping Nuer.

Even the prophet Ngundeng tried his best to discourage Lou from raiding Dinka. The only battle Ngundeng sanction was the battle of Pading, which was instigate by Dinka. Deng as a Dinka God do not believe in the killing, raiding and grabbing of other people land.

The Nyarweng Dinka

The Nyarweng Dinka have suffered the most from Lou and Gawaar Nuer brutality and assimilation since the 19th century. Nyarweng was the most populous Dinka subtribe east of the Nile before Eastern migration of Nuer. They were the most numerous, numerous even than Duor, Thoi, Rut and Ric Dinka, whose numbers too, have equally been reduce by Nuer assimilation.

Nyarweng land, which they have lost largely to Rumajok Gon Lou, was likewise the biggest in the East. At one time, Nyarweng land from the north was at Panyang/Muot dit. Khor Geni/Biem was their north eastern boundary with Anyuak, Pac Makol, which is 50 miles east of Duk Payuel town and few miles from Mac Abol, a former Bor Dinka territory they lost to Murle in the late 18th century was their Eastern limit.

Lith Twi of Twic East county lies South of Nyarweng territory. To the west is the Bahr el jebel, which I call Nimule Nile. The Hol Dinka of Duk Padiet and Pagak lies to the West of Athon Nyarweng and North and North west of Ageer Nyarweng.

Nyarweng territory is well defined and there should be no confusion and question about where their border with Twi Lith, Hol and Rumajok Gon Lou lies. There are historical documents available to substantiate or discredit any claim over Nyarweng land.

Like the border between Sudan and South Sudan, the border between Nyarweng and Rumajok Gon Lou have been moving southward since the 19th century, resulting to lost of their northern region of Panyang/Muot dit to Rumajok Gon Lou in the process.

As it stands on January 1st 1956, the border between Nyarweng and Rumajok Gon Lou is the Ayuai river, which is roughly 30 to 20 miles from Pajut town. The Rumajok Gon Lou have been encroaching on Nyarweng territory since independent. They have left Ayuai river area north, occupying all areas south of Ayuai river, including Wuror town, the administrative headquarter of Wuror county of Rumajok Gon Lou.if there is such thing as contested area, it is the area south of Ayuai river (wuror county) but not Panyang Payam/Aborom of Athon Nyarweng Dinka

Paradoxically, the Rumajok Gon Lou are being administered in an occupied Nyarweng territory. Most of Wuror county villages and Wuror town in particular is located south of Ayuai river, which is Athon Nyarweng territory based on 1956 border.

The claim by Wuror County youth and their representative in Jonglei state parliament that Panyang is part of wuror county is laughable and silly. This is a pure lie and propaganda used by Rumajok politicians and intellectuals as negotiating strategy over areas south of Ayuai river.

Indeed, the Rumajok Gon Lou are behaving like Sudan government who have illegally occupied or wanted to annex by force areas which are historically South Sudanese. In fact this is how the Rumajok Lou appropriated Nyarweng territory by laying unsubstantiated claims to the area they like. They have also use other methods like intimidation, bullying, brutal attack and coercive assimilation of the residents. Will it work again in the 21 st century? I do not know!!!!!

The area in Question

Panyang Payam is located in North Eastern Nyarweng in the region, known locally as Aborom. The Aborom area which include Panyang, Pajut, Pageleng and Patuet is large piece of land, bigger than the area inhabited by Southern Nyarweng section of Ageer

Aborom area is very beautiful piece of land which do not experience the frequent flood of Nile, Sobat and Pibor river systems, which affect most of Upper Nile region. It is by far the best of all Duks; including the Duk Payuel, Duk Padiet,Duk Ayod and Duk Amogog. I had a chance to travel through the area during my time in the army. I did admire the beauty and topography of the area given the fact that it is by far better than where I came from, and where I was raised as a child.

The area is primarily inhabited by Athon Nyarweng Dinka. The Athon Nyarweng constitutes roughly 54% of Nyarweng Dinka population as per 2008 Sudan population and housing Census. The Ageer Nyarweng, which live in Southern Nyarweng area, mainly around the towns of Mareng, Payuel, Patuenoi and Poktap make up the remainder 46%. The Rumajok in fact wants to forcefully annex 54% of Nyarweng population to their area. Can you believe that!!!!!

The Athon Nyarweng, or Aborom as they are informally known have live side by side with Rumajok Gon Lou Nuer since the 19th century. There have been a lot of intermarriage between the two communities. Most Athon Nyarweng, as well as Ageer Nyarweng and Hol Dinka of Duk Padiet and Pagak are bilingual. They speak both Dinka and Nuer given the close geographical proximity and relationship they had for a long time.

There has been a myth among the Rumajok Gon Lou that because the Athon Nyarweng speak Nuer, they must have been a Nuer, which is nonsense. This is one of the reason the Rumajok Gon Lou view the Athon Nyarweng as one of their own, and by extension their land. This is a total lie and myth being preached by some Wuror county politician in Jonglei state.

The fact that South Sudanese speaks fluent English and Arabic do not make them English or Arab. Foreign language is acquired for cultural and economic reason. The Nyarweng, as a close neighbor of Lou Nuer leant the Nuer languages for economic reason. The Duk Dinka also do not have contempt for other people and Nuer in particular. It is very hard to find any Rumajok Lou Nuer who speak Dinka despite their close proximity to the Hol and Nyarweng Dinka of Duk county.

Again, Panyang Payam is not a dispute land. the name Panyang, Pajut, Pageleng or Patuet are Dinka names. They are not Nuer!!!!. The residents of Aborom identified as Jieng and rightly so. However, Like Hol and Ageer Nyarweng, the Athon Nyarweng have adopted some of the Nuer culture, including languages and names.

Names like Galuak, Tut, Duop, Puot, Kuanen, Kutin, Bayak, Diu and Gatkuoth just to name few are common in Duk county.Name is a something that can be adopted without giving up one ethnic identity. Though most Equatorians have adopted European name for whatever reasons, they are still black African and one of our own.

As I have alluded to earlier, the Duk Dinka are not the only victim of Lou aggression and land grab. The Anyuak have lost most of their land to Mor Lou, mostly in Akobo and Pibor river valley region. The Gaajok have equally suffered from Mor Lou lust for land. The Gaajok have been driven off from Tiergol by Mor Lou. It is not clear whether the Gaajok will manage to ward off Mor advance and desire to annex Nyanding Toic and Wanding Payam.

Jikany Gaajok

The Gaajok Nuer of Luakpiny/Nasir county have also been affected by Mor Lou lust for land, resulting to territorial expansion,which is often achieved through violence mean. The town of Tiergol and its sorrounding area, which is historically a Jikany Gaajok and Anyuak territory have been grab from their nose by their southern neighbors, the Mor Lou. This have force the Gaajok into Anyuak territory in Gambella region, pushing the Anyuak of Ethiopia further to East.

One of the deadliest war in recent memory was the “Fish War” (Mut Reec) of 1992. The conflict was over Nyanding Toic which the Mor Lou want to grab from Gaajok. Hundreds of civilians and even soldiers died in the fight, which some witness alledged was instigated by Dr. Riek Machar.

The Gaajok lost the battle and the Mor Lou forcefully occupied the Nyading Toic and sorrounding area. Today, the Mor Lou still lay claim to Wanding Payam of Luakpiny county as their territory. This make Wanding one the contested areas which the government of South Sudan must address in the not distant future.

Ciro/Akobo Anyuak as victim of Mor Lou territorial expansion

Like the Nyarweng, with whom the Anyuak share the border before the Eastern migration of Nuer and Northern migration of Murle to the Pibor river valley region, the Anyuak have lost much of their land to Mor Lou Nuer than they have to the Plain Murle of Pibor county. This is why the Anyuak of Ethiopia called Dinka Ajuil, which is a corruption of Ayuel. At that time, Nyarweng, Hol and Padang were known as descedant of Ayuel Longar.

The region of Khor Geni Toic, now call Biem was the border between Nyarweng and Anyuak. It was where they watered their cattle during the dry season. The region have since then change hand between Murle and Mor Lou. The Murle have prevail and now use Khor Geni as their Toic. This have force the Mor Lou to seek water and pastures in Nyading toic of Gaajok Nuer.

Mor Lou Nuer, have disapportionately appropriate Anyuak land by large margin. And to appreciate the extent to which the Anyuak land have been grab by Mor Lou, one has to go back to the 19th century.

There were only four Nuer villages in the Akobo and Northern Pibor river valley region in 1931, with the population of 800 souls.These villages to be exact were the village of Dengjok, locate at the mouth of Khor Geni, which was headed by chief Farragalla Kong. 2 miles to the south west of Dengjok was the village of Kana under the chieftaincy of Koryom Kom.

The village of Meir, locate 5 miles south of Akobo town was under chief, Nyang Camjok. Finally, another Mor Lou Nuer village to be found in Akobo and Pibor river region was the village of Koingai under chief Deng Ruei.

The reasons I list these village is to substantiate again, my claim of Lou territorial expansion at the expenses of Anyuak and Nyarweng Dinka. And as most of you know, the Akobo and Northern Pibor river valley region is now predominantly Mor Lou. The Anyuak make up approximately 10% of Akobo county population as per 2008 Sudan housing and population count.

This agressive encroachment on Anyuak land by Mor Lou have force the Ciro Anyuak to migrate north to Ethiopia and East to Pochalla, into Adonga Anyuak territory. Mor Lou northern expansion into Gaajok territory as I have alluded to earlier,have even made Anyuak situation worst and desparate.

Basically, the Anyuak are being squeeze by Gaajok and Gaajak from the north, and by Mor Lou Nuer from the South and East of Akobo town and region.If this trend of Mor Lou encroachment into Anyuakland continues unchallenge, the Ciro/Akobo Anyuak will be completely displace from Akobo and Northern Pibor river region in the next 10 to 20 years.

Perhaps the British government officials who facilitate an agreement between Lou and Anyuak, which granted the former to graze their cattle in the summer, but were not permitted to build permanent shelters, would look back with regret and sense of guilt for what they have done to the Ciro Anyuak

Conclusion

To the Mor and Rumjok Lou Nuer intellectuals, leaders and politicians

Lou leaders, activitists and intellectuals have been disappointing and irritating. They have admantly stood with their community even when there is strong evidence of Lou agression. They have in fact indirectly sanction the brutal attacks their community wages against the minority,powerless and peace loving communities of Gaajok, Anyuak and Duk Dinka.

It is time for Lou politicians and generals to have inward look at their community, asking themsleves the question as to why the Lou are always the agressors. Something must be fundamentally wrong about how your cattle keeping population view the world, particularly the life of their fellow human and their property, such as land. An apology and condemnation will created hope and optimism that, at least the Lou are beginning to change for the better.

It is time for Lou leaders to teach their people the concept of human rights, including the right to life and right to acquire and own property through legitimate means. That life is precious and a gift from God or through revolution that must be respect. That people live once, and once they died, they can not come back to life again. That it is devestating, painful and traumatic to lost the live of a relative, someone you know and love dearly in a senseless and unjustified killing. That the people they killed are like their fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, uncles and nephew who deserve to live.

That live is impossible without property like land from which one can engage in a productive economic activities to sustain one life. That the cattle keeping Nuer concept of man is flawed and dangerous. The believe that man (wur) is define by how many cattle you looted and how many innocent civilians one killed is surreal. Even the children born by mothers married by raided cattle could not appreciate the process by which that wealth was acquired, which is in most case by murdering the legitimate owner of that animal.

That biologically, a man is any human being with a penis, large or small, long or short, circumcize or otherwise. That a real man do not steal other people property. That Ngundeng prophecies should fulfil themsleves as they were predicted, and that the Lou in general donot have any divine obligation for their fulfilment. That even the brutal murder of Lou civilians by David Yau Yau should at least remind Lou youth and give them a sense of reflection of what it mean to lost innocent people one love and care about.

It is also the duty of Lou leaders to remind their wild youth about the wider and long term implication of their violence behaviors in term of development. that Jonglei as a state is being left behind because of persistent insecurity cause by culture of cattle raiding. That Jonglei will eventually prove to be the Turkana district of South Sudan in the next 10 years. That no reasonable person can invested his money in an insecurity ridden region like Jonglei state. That peace is good for every one, whether in the short term or otherwise.

That the issue of border between states, counties, payam and boma is a national ticking time bomb that need to be left in the hand of government to decide. That there is plenty of documentary evidence which will be used to settle some of border contentions.

That until the Lou youth view of the world, particularly their bigotry and contempt for Dinka is change, the powerless, minorities and Tiny Duk Dinka and Anyuak communities who have no Gat Hoth of Nasir county, Manyang of Bor county, Wani of Juba county and Kiir of Gogrial west county at the military and political decision making table will continue to suffered under the watchful eye of their government. They will therefore be left to the mercy of their enemy, the Mor Lou of Akobo county and Rumajok Lou of Wuror county.

And when the government adopted a controversial policy of non involvment in what they errenously call tribal matters, the fate of Anyuak and Duk Dinka become a guess work.

Some would ask the question as to why the Duk Dinka and Anyuak can not defend themselves instead of looking to the government. There is no simple answer but numbers do matter. Both Lou Mor and Rumajok outnumbered Anyuak and Duk Dinka in the average ratio of 10:1 for Anyuak and 8:1 in the case for Duk Dinka by best estimates.

The population of Wuror and Duk county according to 2008 census is 178,000 and 65,000 respectively.Put it differently, for every Nyarweng Dinka, there are 8 Rumajok Gon Lou. And for every single Duk Dinka, there are 3 Rumajok Gon Lou. The Nyarweng and Hol can not withstand the sheer number of Rumajok Lou in an hypothetical war.They have not done it, in the spear war of 19th and 20th century and they can not do it now in the 21st century war of AK 47 and RPG mortor launchers.

No matter how brave the Nyarweng might be, they will simply be overwhelm by Rumajok Lou. Which is why the South Sudan government neutrality policy on tribal conflicts is flawed and need to be re-evaluate. One priniciple of war is the principle of deterent. The Duk Dinka can not act as a deterent against the Rumajok agression. they can not match their manpower

Since its inception, the existence of the government have been justified on the ground that it exist to protect the powerless, the vulnerable and the weakest against the powerful and agressive segments of that society. If the government can not protect the powerless Dinka of Duk county, who have been systematically marginalize going back to the time of Abel Alier, then surely the government can not reasonably justified its existence and legitimacy.

To the Duk Dinka intellectuals, Leaders and politicians

Perhaps it is time for the Duk Dinka and in particular, the Nyarweng Ageer politicians to start restoring the Dinka practice of sharing. The Athon Nyarweng of Aborom and Hol of Pagak Payam are politically the marginalized of the marganilized people of Duk county.

Duk county is being represented at national, state and county level by the politicians from the powerful Hol of Duk Padiet and Ageer Nyarweng of Duk Payuel, excluding the Aborom and Pagak people in the process. Both 3 positions of county commissioner, jonglei state assembly and South Sudan parliament have all gone to you.

If democracy mean anything, it is government by majority with minority right. whatever, those term may mean, the Athon Nyarweng, which constitute 54% of Nyarweng population should not at least be shut off from political participation as they are now. Even the symbolic traditional office paramount cheiftaincy should at least be given to people of Pagak and Aborom so that they have the sense of belonging.

Failure to address the marginalization of Athon Nyarweng and Hol of Pagak, may regretably result to lossing them to Rumajok Gon Lou. And if they becomes Nuer, the Ageer Nyarweng and Hol Dinka will be the next Nuer in the making. This is how it have been.

If some elements within Athon Nyarweng are determine to become Nuer, they should be advice to go peacefully without instigating violence. After all the Nuer are people just like Dinka with whom one can assimilated into. But these elements need to be told that when people want to migrate, they do not migrated with the land. They just pack their belonging and go.

Even the Rumajok Lou to whom they want to migrated did not bring from the west the land on which they currently inhabited. They left the Jagei area taking no land, cross the Nile and settle where they are right now. These elements within Aborom need to go and leave Nyarweng territory to those who want to remain Dinka as they have been.

And perhaps it is time for the Duk Dinka to speak for themselves. Malok Aleng comments during the time of struggel can be consider offensive, but they carry little grain of truth. The Duk Dinka have been the sleeping lion which do not need to be awaken in the word of Elijah Malok Aleng.

The only power the Duk Dinka have at their disposal is the power of public advocacy and their ability to get sympathizers by creating public awareness about their plight at the hand of Rumajok Gon Lou. The Twi and Bor have not come to your aid in the 18th, 19th and 20th century war against the Nuer. And there is no indication that they will extend their helping hand in this 21st century.

Dinka power have gone south to the Bor and south west to Rek Dinka of warrap and Northern Bahr el Ghazel. The Aliers, Jongroors, Nyandiars, Ngueny, Wols, Makeec, Manuts, Atak and AKuein of Bor and Rek are fixated on power and have no time with 65,000 minority Duk Dinka. Even if you brive them with your Aduks, Akur, Yar, Adhieu and most beautiful girls you posess, they will decline the offer.

And of course if the Riak, Mac, Dhol, Ngong and Garang of Bor and Rek can not come to your aid, certainly the Gat Hoth, Mamur, Koang, Gatnor, Wani and Wanawilla of Nuer and Equatorian will not intervene either. May be and may be, if the American can give you their 5 Apache gunships and three atomic bombs in exchange for Ayuai river area and possibly all the areas east of Duk Payuel, there will be hope that you will finally defend yourslef and your land from potential enemies.

And as the last resort,as politic in South Sudan is increasingly becoming the survival of the fittest species, it is probably time to look around Equatoria region and identify smaller tribes of 10,000 or 15,000 souls from which you can grab their land. Those potential Equatorian victims will not blame you as they are aware about the rules of the game. Somewhere in Equatoria region and among the 32 Equatorian tribes, there is at least a powerless, vulnerable and weakest tribe from which you can forcefully and violently grab their land and quit the hostile upper Nile region for all.

If the word agression mean anything, it is the launched of unjustified and unprovoke attack as the Rumajok Gon Lou Nuer youth did on Pajut town and on the Athon Nyarweng of Aborom region. Certainly, the Rumajok Gon Lou can not reasonably annexed the Nyarweng Dinka territory of Aborom by force, nor do they have right to interfere in the internal matters of Athon Nyarweng of Panyang Payam

Panyang payam can not and will not be annexed by force as the Rumajok youth want us to believe. The period of lawlessness, looting and brutality is coming to an end very soon. perhaps, the Rumajok Gon Lou can emulate peaceful co existence with their neighbors as the Gaatbal Gon lou have done with Luac of Khor Fulus and Ngok of Baliet county. They do not even have to look far than the Gawaar who have been at war with Hol Dinka for long time, but have now finally embrace peace with them.

And indeed, Lou aggression and territorial expansion at the expense of Nyarweng, Gaajok and Anyuak must be curtailed and confronted by the government. adminsitrative issues like border contention are not inherently tribal in nature, but are what the government exist to address.

Jay Johnson is a former liberation fighter, who unilaterally retired from the army 5 years ago. And with aging taking its toll, i have taken on a new mission,which is activism and advocacy. He resides in the state of central Equatoria, which he have call home for the last 15 years. I can be reached at johnsonjay676@gmail.com

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