By Mading Akueth, Juba, South Sudan
April 20, 2016 (SSB) —- The Dinka are a group of several closely related peoples living in the Republic of south Sudan along both sides of the White Nile. They cover a wide area along the many streams and small rivers, concentrated in the Bahr el Ghazal province, Upper Nile province in southeast of South Sudan and across into southwest Ethiopia.
They are the largest ethnic group in South Sudan. The Dinka expect an individual to be generous to others in order to achieve status in the society. They base their life on values of honor and dignity. They discuss and solve problems in public forums.
Dinka as a community has been living in this country for many years and they have participated in the liberation struggle in the Republic of South Sudan and made so many sacrifices. With the few introduction mentioned above I think the South Sudanese communities must know Dinka is here to stay and no act of violence will let them follow Luo to Kenya or Uganda.
Since the beginning of conflict in 2013, Dinka has been negatively propagate by all South Sudanese people both in abroad and within the country as tribalist and corrupt but we focus on peace and harmony. We endured all the hardships to keep the country together without accepting the narrative of war being between Nuer and Dinka. We did not give orders to humanitarian agencies that we don’t need certain tribes to come and work in our ancestral villages. Any South Sudanese can work in Bor, Bahr el Ghazal, Upper Nile and other areas, which are dominantly Dinka without any fear for his/her life.
Dinka cannot work freely in most of Nuer areas like Yuai, Akobo, leer etc. and some parts of Equatoria such as Yei, Yambio, Morovo etc. Though the war has been seen as a power struggle between the Dinka and Nuer; Equatoria communities have formed elimination strategy of killings innocent Dinka on the highways within the Equatoria region.
Dinka women, children, business people and humanitarian workers are being removed in commercial cars and get slaughtered on roads while the World see them as the beneficiaries of power struggle. They have the vice president and cabinet affairs positions and other prominent positions in government on the expense of other region including Dinka region. So why are they killing the very people who have given them the seats of honor?
What is making Equatoria bitter against Dinka while they are main beneficiaries of 2013 war? Equatoria citizens are the only people who are allowed to work in humanitarian organizations in the Upper Nile and Bahr el Ghazal region without any fear of killings because the actors see them as neutral. This has given them the economic advantage over their fellow citizens in this country and they may be interested for conflict not to end so that they can continue with their exploitation. As the two big tribes are fighting, they are waiting for a full take over of the country after we cease to exist.
Are Equatorian people neutral in this conflict? BIG NO, They have adopted a strategy of eliminating Dinka with “a panga” and guns on the highways of Bor, Yei, Yambio and Mundiri. What has surprised people is that the politicians from Equatoria region are not condemning this barbaric act against innocent Dinka protracted by their constituents.
There are massive killings between Bor and Juba both on roads and river. These days when you are boarding a bus to Bor you are not sure about your safety. Civil society organizations, which are always in front of condemning human right abuse, keep silent when a Dinka women breasts are being chopped off on Yei-Juba roads.
It is true that our people are being killed in cool blood in the name MTN because the strategy is to eliminate or reduce Dinka to reasonable number, which will manageable in the nearest future. Will it stop now because peace partners are finally going to form and run the government of national unity? I don’t think so because their hatred against Dinka is beyond political settlement. They want to eliminate Dinka population slowly but sure; firstly in Equatoria region and finally in South Sudan.
We all know the history of our country and no one should forget the historical targets on Dinka during liberation struggle. We are asking our MPs to demand explanation from Equatoria MPs; why are they not condemning the killings of innocent Dinka on Yei-Juba roads, Bor-Juba and Yei-Morobo roads. We must all know what happen to our brothers can also happen to us.
We must be our brothers and sisters keepers; otherwise powers against us are more than friends for us in this country that why we should always demand for clear explanation on issues affecting us and especially our survival as a people in this country.
You can reach the author via his email: Michael Mading <madinakueth@yahoo.com>
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