Suffering of Wernyolese at the hands of Government, Rebels and Church leaders
9 min readBy Bol Garang, Australia
June 7, 2015 (SSB) — Wernyol is one of South Sudan Conurbations in Jonglei State; it’s contiguous to Jonglei Canal, one of major project in Sudan history. Jonglei Canal was one of the significant incentives of why Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA/M) of Southern Region currently the Republic of South Sudan took armaments against Khartoum government 1983.
In addition, Wernyol hosts many communities from its neighbouring Communities especially Kongor up to the far Twic East Community of Pakeer, Duk Community and other Communities on other side of the Nile. However, two Communities of Adhiok and Abek of Dinka Twic East are the Aborigines of Wernyol since until it was transformed to be District.
Throughout emancipation period under the leadership of John Garang Mabior natives of Wernyol were marginalised. Their commandants in the army were battered; their politicians or civil servants in the political wing were also tormented until nowadays. Why they suffered?
Well, a reasonable answer would have come from Dr John Garang de Mabior but God took him before he retort the question. Nonetheless, it has remained with Salva Kiir Mayardit to answer it because he was the duty Commander and currently a Constitutional President Republic of South Sudan.
Wernyol was transformed to the high level of District in 1975 through power of Enoch Mading Garang Tong when he was a Member of Parliament representing Twic East area in the government of Sudan after 1972 Addis Ababa Peace Agreement.
Wernyol was given a full responsibilities as an Administrative Area based on it population to carry out normal activities in the area before SPLM/A was born. Hence, when SPLA/M was raised, Wernyol becomes a battle ground between government, rebels and raiders been destroyed but never annexed by any internals and externals enemies.
Based on my observations and opinions of other citizens of Wernyol, I personally, comprehended that people of Wernyol are tormented on the hands of illegitimate and incompetence commissioners of Twic East County, MPs both in Mading (Bor Town) and Juba respectively, Jonglei State governors and the current President of the Country since the formation of Wernyol as Administrative Area or District.
Nevertheless, presently people of Wernyol have more chances to take any position whenever it comes up. We requisite to be imperturbability and take that opportunity when it derives whether Diocese, Commissioner, Juba MP seat or Governorship.
I would suggest to our politicians and church leaders to put up their gears properly because the coming opportunity is ours. The current Government of Kiir Mayardit of SPLM/A and Rebels Militias have terrorised the area for interests known to them but people of Wernyol have never dissent or concomitant with people of destruction.
We saw it from other communities like when Arok Thon Arok and Riek Machar Teny and many others staged coup against John Garang Mabior in 1991 and stationed their army base in Nasir in Upper Nile and Panyagor in Twic East to massacre people of Twic East Community and other South Sudanese in their diverse areas.
During their operation, communes around Panyagor were gathered by Arok Thon through his chief Duot Ajang and gave them last chance to comments whatsoever they liked or disliked about the movement of Riek and Arok or to be exterminated.
All communities came up to Riek in Panyagor with different strategy of antipathy Riek rebellion but were concluded by certain community that “Paanda ka ci bi riaak Riek Machar dom piny kookdu yoo, dom piny kookdu yoo.” meaning that (Our home won’t be destroyed Riek Machar seizure your land through your hand, seizure your land trough) instead of it original version.
However, after Riek Machar heard his name he was exultant saying that preponderance of people in this area loves him and his movement. All communes spent day deeds with Riek without knowing tomorrow because of trepidation but God has heard the voices of those who were not contented with rebellion.
Thus, in the dawn the SPLA of John Garang attacked Riek position in Panyagor slaughtered countless generals on Riek and Arok side. In that illustration, it revealed that people of Wernyol have never correlate with enemies of peace and stability like other communities in South Sudan. Hence, why do Wernyolese suffer when they never rebel against government or support rebellion?
The people of Wernyol have also suffered under the authorities of Episcopal Church of Sudan since the coming of missionaries to Sudan in 1905. When Missionaries came to Southern Region of Sudan, they first established their based at Malek near Mading Ngeth Angok currently Bor Town and starts teaching bible and English language to local residents in the area.
Hence, after they seen people are acquiring, they commence spreading words of God to contiguous communities. During their manoeuvre in the area for many years and they have seen many people had implicit words of God.
They came up with additional stratagem; they rehabilitated Bor District to be given full liability to be Diocese to gives people a bit of power to teach themselves and others. Therefore, Bor District was developed as Diocese under Bishop Deng Atong and later to Bishop Garang Anyieth.
Garang came up with another way of dissemination words of God in many regions including neighbouring countries where inhabitants of South Sudan immigrated during civil war in the region. Thus, after several years of Bor Diocese as the only Diocese in the region people had divergence in Kakuma Refugee Settlement in Kenya.
The discrepancy broke up between Twi Clergies with Buor Clergies who associated with Bishop Nathaniel because they’re Buor. Subsequently, disagreement came up with determination to gives Twic East people Assistant Bishop to work with Bishop Nathaniel Garang Anyieth.
Thus, after a years later Twic East was given a fully responsibilities to be Diocese. Therefore, Bishop Nathaniel Garang Anyieth announced position of Twic East Diocese as vacant, after the announcement majority of Twi Archdeacons put their gears to compete for the position.
Twic East Community gathered to choose who should lead them but there were dissatisfactions from some of the chosen clergies but were settled through dialogued. Election went on between Rev: Ezekiel Diing Ajang and Rev: Canon Mark Atem.
Mark Atem won the first and second rounds but Daniel Deng Bul the Archbishop of South Sudan and Sudan rejected positive results and gives his unsubstantiated denunciations that “Mark Atem can’t serve community as Bishop because he doesn’t have a stable wife’’
Hence, election was transferred to juba for the third round after that round Diing Ajang won through corruption. Hence, after Twic East Community seen what Daniel Deng Bul has done isn’t appropriate. They repudiated Ezekiel Diing Ajang to be their Bishop because of his behaviours in the community.
Preponderance of Twic East Communities refused Ezekiel Diing Ajang because of his incompetence as Bishop, the communities who refused Mr Diing mostly came from Wernyol, Kongor and Nyuak but Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul insists and he held Consecration of Ezekiel Diing Ajang in collaboration with two communities of Ajoung and Pakeer Payams.
The occasion was done in Maar of Pakeer Payam after sanctification of Ezekiel Diing he starts his work in those communities where he was consecrated. The two Dioceses of Bor and Twic East starts their work hand in hand in good faith but magically happened when some of the communities represented by these two Dioceses rebelled against the work of those Dioceses and Archbishop.
These communes were Kongor of Twic East County and Athoch of Bor County. The community of Kongor who commenced revolution against Twic East Diocese and Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul solicited their case to High Council of Churches and they want to proceed to court should their demands aren’t encountered.
Hence, they were about to go to court against the Archbishop of South Sudan and Sudan but under some circumstances, Mr Deng Bul gave them some conditions and should they meet those conditions, they’ll be given their Diocese.
Conditions were name of the Diocese to be changed because Archbishop refused clan name to be used as Diocese name, to build concrete church, to build concrete house of Bishop, buy good car for Bishop and sum of money to be given to Archbishop of ECS.
Therefore, after Kongor Community heard those conditions they were delighted. They sent message everywhere including social media especially Facebook and Twister after that they contributed a lot of dollars worldwide to achieve their mission but one thing was hard changing of name.
They refused to change their clan name or give another name for their diocese. However, when Mr Daniel Deng Bul received their report, he interrogated why they haven’t change the name? Then a certain person who seated at the corner jumped up with angry face wanted to crash Archbishop Deng Bul but was calmed down by those who were with him at that time. Hence, after Mr Deng Bul perceived such sabotages he fade up of them and gave them their Diocese.
Therefore, on other hands, Athoch community went underground and lobby for their Diocese through Bishop of Bor Diocese Ruben Akurdit. Mr Ruben Akurdit was having no problem with Athoch community because he wasn’t there during the time they rebelled against Bishop Nathaniel Garang Anyieth. Therefore, in February 2015 a major development was seen in Jonglei State when four Bishops of Kongor, Duk, Malek and Athoch were given enthronement in their respective places.
Hence, on another development community of Wernyol heard secret reconciliation with Bishop of Twic East Diocese Mr Diing Ajang Malang lately last year 2014 to end nearly five years of conflict. They reconciled with Bishop Diing and gave him their ultimatums.
Mr Diing Ajang promised that he would allow Wernyol to be an Administrative Area to follow procedures of their Diocese. Therefore, people of Wernyol are currently waiting Mr Diing promise. I heard that on the 20th March 2015 the incompetence Bishop of Twic East Diocese with other Bishops had travelled from Juba to Wernyol to pronounce Wernyol as Independent Administrative Area.
The illicit Bishop of Twic East Diocese Mr Diing has promised that people of Wernyol will be given Independent Administrative Area to follow their procedures of their Diocese autonomously. He also, said Wernyol administrative Area will be independent from Duk, Kongor, Athoch or other Dioceses in the region.
He added that Wernyol Administrative Area would work in collaboration with Twic East Diocese during the period of processing their Diocese. Therefore, people of Wernyol are currently waiting and should Mr Diing Ajang repeat what he did few years ago in Wernyol area then; people of Wernyol shall act suitably. We’ll never let what occurred reiterate itself in our area.
To sum up, throughout the long anguish instigated by civil war in South Sudan, people of Wernyol needs to determine out their identity, veracity, authentic, reliable, love and respect they have lost during liberation period.
They also need to ascertain peace and harmony, culture, stability, development and coexistence which were devastates since the coming of missionaries, imperial and Arabs era. People of Wernyol have lost numerous of things on the ground but we need to have sanguinity that nothing is hard when a person know who, what, when, which and where to find them.
I know government of South Sudan has neglected our people since it was established but sons and daughters of the land Wernyol have not and shall never neglect the land and people.
God bless People of Wernyol
God bless Religions leaders
God bless Jonglei State
God bless South Sudan
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“Knowledge is Power”
“Unity is the key to Success”
“Understanding is the way Forward”
“Knowledge, Unity and Understanding make better living”
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