Change my Bor name, and I still will remain in the same character: people make names worth!

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As Qantas soared above Hong Kong, my eyes sent messages to the brain to decode every picture, the outcome lightened my face with a smile. A city built by the people and not by names! God sent us to the world to witness wonders of wonders. Those in America, Canada, Australia and Britain or wherever South Sudanese live in Europeans’ countries, we keep transporting, in a wish, the best governance, the unity, peace and prosperity.

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However, little do we know, to partake in unity and prosperity, we must earn peace because peace defines the people, not names! The conflict in South Sudan comes in pieces as in the jig saw puzzles. We always observe the holistic scenario of South Sudan’s conflict, the government versus the rebels but each state within SouthSudan  or each tribe in a state within South Sudan withdraws into its own problem to attract the attention. As such, some of us within South Sudan called for federalism, others called for a state of their own within a state, so the greater Pibor offers us an example. Many examples of the systematic problems of South Sudan come in volumes of books.

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 However, my focus in this article will zeroing in on the jieng (MonyJang) of the eastern bank, Bor, Twic, Hol and Nyarweng. Some of us believe that the existing name (Bor) excludes some of us so we call for an inclusive name such as other Jieng, Bahr el Gazel (Jieng of the Western Bank). With that said, this article will present some reasons why names are not the problem. I will also state why Facebook cannot allow a constructive discussions for issues such as this.

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Honestly, I don’t know how Bor, the name, became the identity of Athooc, Gok, Hol, Nyarweng and not my desire to know it as well because the problem steers away from the history (how we all became Buoor) but on the connotation of some people who believe they own the name and insatiable hunger to create an inclusive name for some of us who feel excluded. These, in my belief, represent the grievances of some of us. So the question that begs answers from all of us goes: what can we all do to solve it peacefully? In an outlook, the solution does not need bigotry but the open-mindedness, it does not need the youth alone but our God given elders, and more importantly, it does not need political buccaneers but the community-loving people. Again, the lands and names are not the problem but us that own them. We must not divide for lands or names’ identities. In our counties we can find examples why names of people and lands don’t matter.

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 At the outset, Kolnyang payam in Bor county, comprises of Abang, Abii(Jur Aliap),Adol and Gualla, the owners of the name(Kolnyang), nevertheless, the stake holders in Kolnyang payam don’t feel excluded because each clan within Kolnyang takes pride in their existing name, for instance, Abang is fulfilling to the owners already and so do the rest of the clans with their ancestral names. Besides, within kolnyang payam, all clans identify with Juur Hol as a comprehensive name but this name belongs to a clan within Kolnyang payam, Jiir owns the name. In spite of this, all other clans adhere to the name without grievances. The campaigners of Bor as an exclusive name might rebut these examples, particularly Hol because Jiir rarely use the name. But a specific example that fits all facets of our name (Bor) identity problem comes from Juur Koch.

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Juur Koch (still in Bor County) consists of Adum wuur, Ateer, Deer and Koch, they identify themselves with Juur Koch as an inclusive name but the other clans don’t feel dominated by Kuoi because they pride themselves in their existing ancestral names. Makuach payam is the addressing centre of Adum Wuur, Ateer, Deer and Koch; Makuach belongs to Adum wuur. We can scan for examples of these kinds from Baaidit (Mac-Deng), Jalle, Panyangoor to Poktap but the truth remains: the lands and names represent no problem but the political freebooters. Political swashbucklers must not define us in their own desires because our destiny concerns not the politics alone; we share much of our lives.

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For these reasons, we must find ways to coexist and solve this problem amicably. Some of us must not desire to exchange energised words in this heated debate. Better for those who choose to maintain silence than those who involve in unhealthy debate. As unhealthy debates solve nothing but they can result in blurring of the real issue(s) and a greater enmity. In this perspective, the groups that die-hard to change or create a more inclusive name must push a debate to a constructive level, and not on social sites such as Facebook.

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As we confine our important discussions on Facebook, we risk our integrity and necessity of these discussions because the Facebook accommodates all. You find the educated and uneducated, young and adults, politically-minded and non-politically-minded people on Facebook. So with these mixtures, people must not initiate critical issue(s) on Facebook. Which constructive level must this debate goes?

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I Believe the youth in the western countries or members of counties of Bor, Twi and Duk in diaspora own vibrant voices in our counties’ affairs, however, we must forward this debate to the elders especially to our history and politics legends. By so doing, the debate or grievances against Bor as an exclusive name will find itself on the legal grounds. Legal grounds create rooms for democracy or democracy produces legal grounds for any change. Those with legal backgrounds understand legal processes involve in issues such as this.

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Without conducting this debate professionally and legally, we’ll run around with childish noises for ages. Other communities or tribes in the South Sudan will yet address us as Dinka Bor; we’ll find it hard to prove we belong to a certain group different.

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In conclusion, as we grow and learn in our independence, finding niches for our identities in some places, will own stages for long time. For this reason, we need high integrity and tolerance in addressing the critical issues. With these sensitive issues, the initiators must avoid Facebook at all costs. Besides, some of the issues are centuries old and no good documentations available except some elders who heard some histories and stories orally. Nevertheless, we must refer our concerns to them.