The Victims of Two Wars in South Sudan
By Manyok Mabiei
It is over two decades of 23 years of 1991 a war crime was committed and another one on December, 17, 2013. Is Dr. Riek Machar is not guilty of two war’s crimes in Bor, and elsewhere in South Sudan. These crimes are terrible to weighs against Dr. Riek Machar were carried out against humanity in Bor. As well as many people know that Bor were victims of two war’s crimes in South Sudan.
Although, the Sudan People Liberation Movement was upraised in Mading-Bor on May, 16, 1983, as well as an inspirations to Bor citizens to join the Movement overwhelmingly and kept it alive. The Movement was very strong an active because of culture in South Sudan and it was attempted to hijack by an arrival leaders in South Sudan to make it collapse, but it was resistance to survive.
Why Bor were victims of two war’s crimes in South Sudan? This is critical concern people can look at it, why Dr. Riek Machar always targets the civilians rather than deal with main government in term of politic.
There were two wars as many people know; one was started by Riek Machar against John Garang 1991, while the Southerners were fighting’s to achieve freedom of land against North.
Second war was started in Juba last year between Riek Machar and President Kiir Mayardit through frustrations of reform of the government. All these wars were affected Bor community deeply in South Sudan; while there was nothing connected the civilians in term of politic in the government.
Here is Dr. Riek Machar footsteps in his political ideology was hammered Bor Community in many ways he was rebelled and went to his village to recruits his own tribal men and led them to Borland for attacks. He was a master minded of 1991 to massacre over 10,000 and unaccountable civilians in Bor were being abducted by Nuer militias.
The 1991 war was condemned as an “inhumanity act less in South Sudan by the world communities.” Who is a leader to do that to kill the innocent civilians if he/she was defeated in political? It was a planned war by Dr. Riek Machar Teny and his allies to fight John Garang and overtake the power in the Movement as his private agenda. This was a part of the Nasir-Faction left the Bor victims of senseless war.
While, Dr. John Garang was struggling to plant a democratic of the whole Sudan in which the Southerners would have full representation in Khartoum; while Riek Machar wanted a quick independent of South Sudan in shortcut from Khartoum.
To look at it, who was making a good decision at that time? Think about it if Southerners were stays mum in their villages without taking up arms, and against North. I believe that the Khartoum couldn’t open a road to Southerners through the power sharing and independent state.
It isn’t easy to seek for the self-determination, while other side isn’t interesting to give a chance to other side. As well some people saying that, “If you looking for peace stand for your ground and there will be a chance for peace,” I think Dr. Garang was thinking that no shortcut of peace without exchanges of the fires. Only Former President Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana was got independent state from British in 1957 without war, but more than that, no one in this world got independent state without struggles.
I don’t think Dr. Riek Machar was struggles in same way like Kwame Nkrumah to bring the South Sudan out from North without exchange of the fires. I believe it was a dangerous plan to do so, and here how he was tried in 1997, he left to Khartoum, after he was defeated by the SPLA forces and he became a head of the Government in Khartoum backed South Sudan Defense Force (SSDF).
Along the lines, in 2000, he left Khartoum and formed a new militia, the Sudan People’s Defense Forces/Democratic Front (SPDF). He realized that the SPLA/M was nearly achieving a full independent from Khartoum, and then he changed his signal and rejoined the SPLA/M Party, as a Senior Commander to support Dr. John Garang during preparations of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2000.
Well, Dr. Garang was welcomed Dr. Machar back to the Movement in Nairobi, Kenya in 2000, so that, they can deal with common threat. If all these conspiracies were made by Machar weren’t surprises some of the citizens in his political moves. I believe so people have low opinions to support Machar because of his political ideology.
Second, war on Sunday, December, 15, 2013 Dr. Riek Machar and President Kiir Mayardit were disagrees and fall apart in Juba. Riek Machar was escaped Juba and rebellion that left 2,500 civilians in Bor were kills and their properties were damaged in the towns.
Some of Bor citizens were not aware about Riek Machar and Kiir Mayardit in Juba during outbreak of war. As well as same war still continues in three states of Upper Nile region of South Sudan. What Dr. Riek doing is called a nightmare because there will be no state of Nuer without other tribes in South Sudan.
The cause of fighting was started the months after Kiir Mayardit dismissed Riek Machar, whose supporters have taken up arms against the government. Kiir and Riek are longtime rivals from different view in politic, since they work together in Juba same government.
This is a big challenge South Sudan’s breathtaking descent into widespread conflict comes nearly three years after the nation was ushered into existence with help from the world communities after two decades of civil war since in 1983.
Is this war is not a humiliation to a new nation under Kiir Mayardit and Riek Machar in 8years of serving. What kind of reform Dr. Riek Machar was missing in 8years, as he was a Vice-President of Republic of South Sudan he will do better, if he became a President of South Sudan.
Is Dr. Riek Machar objective is to weaken the government if he kills the civilians in Bor and some communities in Upper Nile? What are his motivations why he always led the wars to Bor?
First, some people were considered that the war of 1991 was affected Bor, because Garang was a leader of the Movement and some were saying that Garang came from Bor community, so Riek Machar was made a poor decision to lead a war to Bor and killed civilians.
Besides, of the 1991 war the current violence was carried out by Riek Machar against Bor, while some of the citizens were presuming that both men from Bor including Minister of Defence Kuol Manyang Juuk and Minister of Information Broadcast Makuei Lueth Kang were stand firmly with Kiir Mayardit. Is that a problem Riek Machar was led a war to Bor and killed the innocent civilians last year.
These ministers were the long veterans and founders of the SPLA/M, and they have right to serve in the National Government of South Sudan like others who served in 8years.
I don’t believe in that theory of evil act to attack the civilians in Bor, and created violence in the South Sudan. Dr. Riek Machar might think Kiir and his cabinet were the birds of same feathers, because of Dinka connection. That is not true idea from educated mind to look up and down.
I believe some of the Nuer citizens were misused by Riek Machar in his poor plan of act less.
It is true nowadays there were some of Nuer was really educated in Nuer community and they can advise their own civilians not to fight a war of no boundaries. The vast majorities were misleading through evilness theory of Ngundeng Bong. Some people said that some of Nuer were motivated because to get wealth if they go to war of no boundaries.
Is looting is a part of reform and liberation in the nation? This is over two decades from today since they were attacked Bor soil in 1991 and last year to get more resources like before.
Bor citizens were working hard to make their own lives through business and other things to make their own houses in the towns and villages. They were built their houses out of oil money.
It is an individual hard working within eight years and all their resources and lives were gone.
However, to consider the idea of Former Commission of Bor County Maker Lual Kuol stated in his article on January after the mass killings in Bor. He mentioned that, “What will be a peaceful co-existence in Jonglei State after the mass killings of Bor citizens by the Nuer Ethnic group on 17th December 2013.” This is important idea to look at it and view it.
I agree with him. These communities need to sit-down and find out what will be a solution between Lou-Nuer, Gaweer, and Dinka-Bor in Jonglei. I know so far Bor citizens will not truth Lou Nuer and Gaweer beyond three decades from now. The Nuer community should not destroy Bortown because the town is belonging to all of Jonglei citizens’ including them.
A Former Commission was in Bortown the time General Gadet Yak carried out attack on December 17th 2013. Peter Gadet Yak was commander of Division-8 that was stationed in Panpandier village rebelled and led an attack in Bortown and some villages near to the town.
The attack was resulted into death of many Bor citizens and forced out over 200,000 people in town, and small villages. That was terrible killing after the White Army captured the Bortown in second attack they were destroy the town and kill the patients on their beds and rape old women, while they were sick.
No, any living human can do that to kill the patients on the beds and rape 75years old women and kill 24 laywomen in the church at time. That is called hate crime and madness acts less in history of South Sudan.
It is seemingly in places like Bor as historical city of South Sudan, conflict had become a part of life, except perhaps for a brief time after South Sudan was born. So, what will be solution to bring peace between the people of Bor and Nuer? People need to look at it seriously to end violence killings in the future.
These two wars destroy Bor community up to this date and thousands of lives and resources were gone through the Riek Machar frustration actless.
Manyok Mabiei is currently in Chicago, IL. He is concerned citizen in terms of humanity and independent thinker. He is a one of the SPLA-Chapter Founders in Chicago and as a leader and Former Red-Army of South Sudan in 1987. He can be reach manyokmabiei@aol.com. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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