REASONS WHY JONGLEI STATE SHOULD BE SEPARATED INTO TWO STATES
By Noble Leek Goi, Kampala-Uganda
November 7, 2016 (SSB) — For any separation to occur, there must be kind of misunderstanding between the parties who are getting separated. South Sudan got separated from North, simply because of oppression and marginalization of the South Sudanese by the Arabs in the North.
Dr. John Garang said it clearly that, “…….our blood will be shed because I hate oppression and marginalization of our people…..” This was the reason why he fought for over 20 years to liberate the South from Arabs marginalization and oppression. Now, why are we again marginalizing ourselves in the absent of Arabs? Didn’t we fight to get rid of such kind of oppression and marginalization?
As a matter of fact, Jonglei state is experiencing oppression and marginalization which can only be solved by peaceful separation, not the forceful one like that of South Sudan and North which took over 20 years of war with thousands of lives lost in the process.
Jonglei state deserves to be separated because of: Unfair distribution of state parliamentarian seats; unfair distribution of counties; restricted land accessibility in state headquarter, and the population of former Bor County.
1. Unfair distribution of state parliamentarian seats. Former Bor County has twelve (12) members of parliament, former Twic East County has six (6) members of parliament and former Duk County has four (4) members of parliament.With this kind of sharing, where do you expect unity to be? The sharing was determined by Bor county members of parliament of former Jonglei state and seconded by the governor of state Hon. Philip Aguer and their fellow citizens of Bor County in central government.
People of Duk County tried their level best to follow the necessary steps that can make the former three counties to share equally. However, everything was in vain, because of ‘road blocks’ by some of Bor county community citizens in the central government, who are using their positions in the central government to silent the people of Duk and Twic East in the state. There is no doubt that they had favored their own citizens of Bor County by allowing them to have a lion’s share in the state.
2. Unfair distribution of counties. As if that one of members of parliament was not enough, there came in another chaos of counties. Former Bor County again has lion’s share, with eight (8) counties, former Twic East with three (3) counties and former Duk County with three (3) counties. Still this kind of sharing cannot take us anywhere in Jonglei state.
This sharing gave people of Bor community (former Bor County) more powers in the state than those of Duk and Twic East. This is the world of democracy, where the voice of majority is considered, assuming there is a debate going on in the state parliament, Duk will not have a voice even if what they are talking about is true. In parliament, everything end up in voting (majority rule), how do you expect only four (4) members of parliament to succeed with their right in the present of twelve (12) members of parliament? Even if the six (6) members of parliament from Twic East seconded the idea of Duk, they will still be out numbered, because they will only make ten (10) and former Bor county with twelve. Assuming all members of parliament are present.
With this kind of ethnic politics in the country, where an individual base on their own community, I don’t expect any member of parliament from Bor county to vote in favour of Duk idea in the parliament, as some of you might think. If they were fair enough, they would have voted for fair distribution of members of parliament and counties. However, since they didn’t, I also assume them not to favour any idea from Duk just like they did during counties and members of parliament sharing.
When coming to sharing of state resources, the sharing will be done according to number of counties. In which former Bor county will still have more shares in the state resources because of their eight (8) counties, unlike Duk and Twic East communities who are having three (3) counties each. This is a total day light marginalization. How can you really stay with someone who will not give you freedom of expression? How can you really stay with someone who will give you less of what you are supposed to have?
Duk County deserve her own state, if Twic East is comfortable with that kind of sharing, we the people of Duk are not and we shall not be comfortable with any sharing that doesn’t reflect any fairness in it. President Kiir and JCE we need our own state as people of Duk!!
3. Restricted land accessibility in state headquarter. As we all know that, wherever headquarter of state is, the land should be accessed by all citizens of that state. This is not the case currently in new Jonglei state.
When the citizens of Duk County were displaced by 2013 war in their area, majority of them came to the state headquarter and seek refuge there. After the creation of 28 states, they were very happy to remain as one language speaking people. Little did they know that, it will be worst for them remaining with those whom they thought were their brothers? Little did they also know that, they will be called ‘small Nuer’ in the absent of Lou Nuer, who were referred as ‘Big Nuer,’ by the people of Bor County in Jonglei state.
Duk IDPs requested the state authorities so that they could temporary be settled in the state headquarter. The mayor by then, Nhial Majak, tried his level best to make sure that the people of Duk got where to settle. Unfortunately, the mayor got serious opposition from the rest of the citizens of former Bor County.
The citizens of Bor County described the people of Duk as “SMALL NUER.” Because of that matter, they refused to give them land where to settle, and they said, “We cannot chased away ‘BIG NUEER’ (Lou and Gaweer of former Jonglei state) and we again accommodate ‘SMALL NUER’ (the people of Duk).”
The Duk IDPs were denied access to the land; instead they were made to rent in grass thatched houses own by Bor county citizens in the state headquarter.
With that kind of treatment, do you think people can progress in that state? Can we really live in peace and harmony in that state?
4. The population of former Bor County. Since they, (former Bor County) claimed to have population which is bigger than that of Duk and Twic East combined, then they deserve their own state. They already qualified to have a state because of their population. On top of that, they are having eight (8) counties and twelve (12) members of parliament that is also another qualification of having a state.
Currently, most of Bor county citizens criticized the separation of state, calling it disunity. However, someone can wonder why they never criticized the separation of counties and distribution of members of parliament?
Why do they call separation of state disunity and they never called separation of counties disunity while both are separations?
They have already achieved what they wanted and that is why they don’t want to let go of Duk and Twic. They want at least to have those whom they will continue marginalizing. Forged unity cannot last longer and cannot be sustained, let us have two states.
For the three communities of Duk, Twic and Bor to coexist in that state, unless the fair distribution of state benefits is introduced, and those which were unfairly distributed are re-distribute equally, otherwise the state should be separated.
The author, NOBLE LEEK GOI, is a COMMUNITY ACTIVIST and can be reached via his email: nobleleekgoi@gmail.com
The opinion expressed here is solely the view of the writer. The veracity of any claim made are the responsibility of the author, not PaanLuel Wël: South Sudanese Bloggers (SSB) website. If you want to submit an opinion article or news analysis, please email it to paanluel2011@gmail.com. SSB do reserve the right to edit material before publication. Please include your full name, email address and the country you are writing.
About Post Author
