Murle bloodcurdling killings and the fate of the Greater Bor community
6 min readBy David Matiop Gai, Juba, South Sudan
December 2, 2017 (SSB) – The warrior’s blood-curdling of Murle raiders dismay and outcry of public in Jonglei state especially greater Bor-community has been brought sudden leap and made a discreet and blood-curdling with gestures of terrifying relations with me and others in the state. This will cause a feeling of extreme fear in conjunction with state authorities both at the national and state levels. I think there is no hope on national government willing to addressing this issue amicably and successfully. Is national dialogue functioning now in former greater Jonglei apart from peace deal between the two communities?
Recently in Duke Payuel and Panyang counties of Jonglei state, Murle raiders killed 42 people including children, women and elderly people, and abducted more than 60 others. In July 2017, the same Murle attacked Duke Akuak in Jallee and killed many people including children, women and elderly. These encounter attackers took places when the government of South Sudan under First vice Gen.Taban Deng Gai, and UNMISS sponsored peace deal between the two communities. These attacks happened and there were no serious majors taken against Murle for the violation of peace agreement and ceasefire.
But before peace deal among former Jonglei communities, Bor- Youths took the lead in March 2017 to Murle land in search for their abducted children, women and cattle. Shortly, after few days, the government called back Bor youths for a language of peace and emotional reactions but at the end of the day; Murle raiders are still attacking peaceful people under the huge shadow of government. Is that the type of peace the government had been calling youths for? There is biasness in this peace project.
There is a sabotage language of condemning the processes of tribal war in Jonglei state. This is how people described it and I disagree with them. In social, regional and international media, people used to say, both side abducted children, women and raided cattle, but child abduction, women and raiding of cattle have had owners, (the Murle) since creation of man, and nowadays, people turn it as both side.
It is totally wrong; they are bias and that is why problems are not solved. There must be somebody who causes the problem, and if the authorities failed to find and analyse it, it is dangerous.
Over years, before I was born, Murle raided cattle, abducted children, and killed generations over generations of Bor People but I didn’t hear one day that youth in my area went to Murle land and abducted children. When somebody see commentator writing on such public issues, it is a remarkable on something that went wrong.
I am referring this article on those reported that both side abducted children, women and raided cattle to search and find out Bor records in International and African history whether Bor do abducted children or not.
I complain this point because the reality is not supposed to be buried at all. This a language of how Arabs used to say, ‘entry of people to Sudan’ while people know it very well in history, it is entry of Arabs to Sudan. So it is Murle that abducted children, not Bor or Nuer, this is very clear
There are few evidences supposed to be raising against government in case of Bor-Murle trade accusations. Murle is a tool and a tool cannot be a solution. Where do they have got access to deal with Bor? Before they steal cattle, steal children, but they don’t came facing Bor the way they are doing now.
Murle militias killed more than thirty thousand government troops in 2012-2013 and is still been praise for the job well done. The fact is when a theological student David Yau Yau had ranked at the government peak to governed generals who served Sudan government and SPLA for many years. Is it orderly, disorderly or for the sake of peace?
Murle raiders went to Ethiopian –border town of Gambella in 2015, abducted big number of children, and raided cattle, and the government of South Sudan reached quickly and handled the matter in favour of Murle. Murle is well known for abducting children in the region, they do go to Nuer land, Bor, Mundari, Bari, Lapa, Jie and Ethiopia. They become notorious tribe in the region for child abduction and cattle raiding. They disturbed peace and stability.
Again, when Dinka- Bor went to Murle land once in their lives, they were considered as disturbance of peace, and the government called them back. Is it because Bor is powerful than Murle or because Bor is legible to be killed all the time, while government sit back with rules?
I am aware, there is no government in world that will allow her citizens to kill themselves and I don’t urge government of South Sudan to kill Murle but I don’t want government of South Sudan seeing one community being attack several times since 2005 until today and if Bor went to Murle for the first time in March 2017, then they are the problem and government called for peace which is not successful; it is unfair.
Therefore, Am sure, if families died once like what happened in Duke on 27/11/2017 where five people of the same mother and father been buried in mass grave, and government keep quiet because it has nothing to do, and tomorrow the same attackers come back to kill as they wish, then I don’t think that this peaceful community will tolerate such behaviours without committing suicide on the surface of South Sudan, and we will see and hear what will our government may say to her people anymore.
It is too much. Please don’t attempt to analyse this article negatively, we have lost children and women and these are our future. What are we doing on earth if we lost children every day after and before us? Bor will think about it several times not twice.
No thanks.
The author is a co-founder of South Sudan Mental Healthcare Organization, (SSMHCO). He holds Bachelor degree in Social Work and Social Administration from SSCUST, Bachelor of Theology from CLT, Bungoma, Kenya/Kalispell, USA, and a fellow researcher. He can be reached at david.matiopgai@gmail.com.
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