Lou Nuer is wrong to claim Pajut as their territory; they were migrants
9 min readA response to the article “Lou Nuer Community: Pajut is an integral part of Uror, not Duk, County“
By Noble Leek Goi, Jonglei State, South Sudan
May 24, 2016 (SSB) — Historically, the whole area in which Lou Nuer had settled belong to Dinka (Apadang and Nyarweng). Lou came from Bentiu on the other side of river Nile as seen below through their migration to the present land of Unror.
There was a man called LATJOR, he was in Bentiu, one day he hid his axe in the hair on his head and he moved to all the people with magical powers in Bentiu, so that they tell him where his axe was. Many people failed to tell where his axe was, except an old woman called NYIGUECH. Nyiguech told him, “Your axe is on your head in the hair.” He believed Nyiguech to be the most powerful one. To those who listen to songs of Panan Gordon Kong, he sang it in one of his songs.
Nyiguech through her magical powers told Latjor to move to another area and left Bentiu. Latjor migrated from Bentiu to Nasir (current Latjor state) through Ethiopia. While in Nasir, three gentlemen who are now making up of Lou Nuer left Nasir and crossed to Akobo, Unror/Wutror and Nyirol at Wath/shore Ngok in Akobo River. The three gentlemen were;
- The Mor came and settled in Akobo
- The Gatbal came and settled in Nyirol
- The Dak came and settled in Unror/Wutror.
Those three men are the one making up of current Lou Nuer.
The family of Dak who are now the people of Unror
Dak settled in Unror and he had the following sons;
- Jak (Ajak) Dak, (chieng Jaa)
- Palkeer Dak, (chieng palkeer)
- Nyieikeny, (chieng Nyieikeny)
The family of Jak Dak in Lou Nuer
Jak gave birth to the following people;
- Kediit Jak Dak
Kediit Jak Dak gave birth to the following people in Lou;
- Chieng Kun, these are the people of the late paramount chief of Greater Lou, Gatluak Thoah.
- Chieng man Nyaang, these are the people of the late chief Nyok Bechok
- Chieng Dol.
- Maikier Jak Dak
Maikier Jak Dak gave birth to the following people in Lou;
- Chieng kumaai (Paan Kuur Mach)
- Chieng Buai, these are the people of General Gatwei Dual whom his mother Adit Yol was from Nyarweng in Duk.
- Chieng Buur, these are the people of Chief Kon Chot Lual
- Chieng Mut, these are the people of late Chief Tayany Lual
- Chieng Tuou
- Lorjok Jak Dak
Lorjok Jak Dak gave birth to the following people in Lou;
- Chieng Char
- Chieng Beel
- Chieng Kuajien, these are the people where Dak Kueth came from
Currently, the people of Unror, are the one claiming Pajut to be their area, they are right to be wrong on that.
The name Unror is a combination of two Dinka words; Wut and Ror.
Wut means an area, Ror means wilderness. The pronunciation and the spelling of people who never knew what it is, called it Unror which still means the same as Wutror. Most of the names of Lou areas are in Dinka language not Unror alone, this is a clear indication that they were just accommodated by the people of Duk County.
Initially Unror area was inhabited by a man called Ajak Padiek Gaga, who was from Apadang, a section of Dinka. He was staying in a place called Paduai near Pieri. The name Padiek area in Pajut was named after his father.
The area of Pajut was initially and currently for Nyarweng, it was inhabited by the following sub-section;
- Nyaying, which comprised of Riem, Buoi and Dung-gu
- Bongkeer, which comprised of paan man Lual (chieng man Luaal)
- Kare, which comprised of paan Gol (chieng Gol), Gol is a nick name, the real name is Angok Deng
- Paan Weer Kuur, these included people like; Riai Mabil Both Weer Kuur, Ruot Lam Both Weer Kuur and Deng Lam Both Weer Kuur, who is currently a chief in Unror.
The family of Weer Kuur, were staying in a place called Tiam in Pajut, currently some of the grandsons of Weer Kuur are in Unror and others are in Duk. For example, Riai Mabil Both Weer Kuur died when he was a chief in Unror and currently his brother Deng Lam Both Weer Kuur is a chief in Unror and other brother like Ruot Lam Weer Kuur is also there. These people are real indigenous of Pajut but they migrated to Unror. Therefore, they belong to Unror and they can’t claimed Pajut when they are in Unror. They should choose to come back if they need to be in Pajut or stay in Unror. When you migrated, you leave behind the land, you don’t go with it.
Those were the people who inhabited the area of Pajut previously and currently and they are Nyarweeng from Duk County.
How Lou Nuer mixed up with people of Pajut in Duk County
Due to natural calamities and other factors that forced people to migrate, a man called JOK LUAL BIOR together with his sister Agot came to Unror and settled in a home of a man called Bediit Char Lorjok Jak Dak. Bediit Char had a son called Khoryom, his son married Agot Lual Bior the sister to Jok.
After the marriage, Jok Lual Bior migrated again with the cows which were given to him from Unror to Pajut and settled in the land of Bonkeer. While in Pajut, he married a lady called Adau Gol Ajang from Bonkeer.
Jok Lual Bior together with his wife Adau Gol Ajang had the following sons;
- Aluom Jok Lual
- Kuek Jok Lual
- Nhial Jok Lual
Because of blood relationship, the sons of Agot Lual Bior who was married to Khoryom Bediit Char of Lou Nuer in Unror, came to visit the home of their maternal uncle Jok Lual Bior. The following were the sons of Agot Lual Bior;
- Kuei-yang Khoryom Bediit Char
- Kuony-tutlei Khoryom Bediit Char
- Dok Khoryom Bediit Char
These are Chieng Char in Lou Nuer
Those three sons used to come to their uncle’s home in Pajut Duk County and they were typically Lou Nuer from Chieng Char. Some of these sons ended up settling permanently in Pajut together with their uncle’s family who was Nyarweng from Bonkeer.
They just came to visit their uncle and those brothers of theirs who had remained in Lou are the one currently claiming Pajut to be theirs. They should learned from this letter that they were migrating from Wunror to Pajut in Duk because, they were the sons of Agot Lual Bior. Their uncle Jok Lual whom they followed was also a migrant like them. Pajut was/is for Duk community.
In addition to that, the sister to Gol-buuny (Angok Deng) Aman Deng from chieng Gol (paan Gol) was married to Deng-tutbor. Deng-Tutbor was a servant staying together with Bediit Char from chieng Char. This was the connection of Chieng Gol with Chieng Char in Unror. The grandsons of Aman Deng who were typically Lou Nuer could come to Pajut to their maternal uncle Gol-buuny, and also some of the Gol-buuny sons could go to Unror. Now chieng Char in Unror and some chieng Gol in Duk claimed Pajut to be theirs not knowing that it was for their uncle Gol-buuny. They should also choose where to go, either crossing to Duk and remain in Duk or those in Duk cross to Unror and remain there.
The real border between Lou and Duk communities
Those years back, the border was not determined until 1929 during Deng Malual Aleer’s regime, the paramount chief of Dinka Bor who was from Nyarweng in Duk County. After fighting with Lou Nuer in 1929 in the War which claimed the life of Aguek Gundeng, the border was then determined by the British colonialists. That border was AYUAI and it’s still remained as AYUAI up to now, because we are following the British demarcation. I wonder why the Lou community clamed Pajut to be the border, they might have forgotten the border.
After the demarcation, those Nuer who were on the side of Duk were asked by Deng Malual to cross to Unror side.
A man called Poon Yor from Chieng Kumaai was on the side of Duk, he refused to cross to Unror and he told Deng Malual, that he will remained as a citizen of Duk. Deng allowed him to remain in an area called Abibim in Pajut and he told him to take his taxes to Duk Payuel in order to prove his citizenship. Poon Yor accepted and he used to take his taxes to Duk Payuel as a citizen of Duk.
Another man called Nyok Bechok from chieng man Nyaang was also staying in an area called Panyook in Duk County. He also refused to cross to Unror and told Deng, he will be a citizen of Duk as well. Deng accepted and he told him to take his taxes to Duk Padiet to prove his citizenship. Nyok Bechok accepted and he used to take his taxes to Duk Padiet as a citizen of Duk. Nyok Bechok was the father to Khor Nyok and grandfather to Majok Tot Nyok.
The migration during the war of 1991
In 1991 when Dr. Riek rebelled against SPLM/A, Nuer won the war in Dinka Bor area where Duk, Twic and Bor counties are. The people of Poon Yor from Chieng Kumaai and those of Nyok Bechok, changed their minds from being citizens of Duk and turned to Unror, but they were still staying in the land of Duk. Some of them went to Unror during the time of the war and others are still in Duk area in Pajut.
These are the people who called Pajut to be theirs because, they were left on the side of Duk during Deng Malual’s time. If they have turned to be people of Unror today, then they should cross to the side of Unror and leave the area of Duk like they were requested by Deng Malual in 1929.
Some of the Chieng Char also migrated to Pajut because of their blood relationship with Bonkeer, who are currently Chieng man Luaal in Pajut. Chieng Char who are in Pajut must know that they only migrated to Pajut because, they were grandsons of Agot Lual Bior, but the area was not theirs, they belong to Unror. Also those Chieng Char and Chieng Weer Kuur who migrated back to Unror should not claimed Pajut to be theirs, because when you are migrating you don’t go with the land, you leave the land and you move a lone and the person whom you moved to has to accommodate you.
For example, the people of Libya who had migrated to Europe are right to say, Libya is our area, but that will not make Europe to extend their boundary to Libya in Africa because some Libyans are in Europe.
Chieng Char and Chieng Kumaai who are in Pajut in Duk area and those in Unror must choose one side, either those in Unror cross to Duk and remained as citizens of Duk or those in Duk cross to Unror side and remained as citizens of Unror. Alternatively, those in Duk remained in Duk and those in Unror remained in Unror and the border remained Ayuai.
All in all, we as the people of Duk we consider the people of Unror as our neighbors and brothers as well, but the truth of the border must be told.
Pajut is the area of Duk County since the time of creation as reflected in the whole story of Lou Nuer migration to their present place as narrated above.
The author, NOBLE LEEK GOI, lives in JONGLEI STATE SOUTH SUDAN; you can reach him via his email: leekmabaar@yahoo.com
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