My Opinion About the Ongoing Disarmament in Terekeka County, South Sudan

By Hon. Clement Maring Samuel, Terekeka, South Sudan

Saturday, 16 September 2023 (PW) — The history of disarmament in Terekeka County did not start in 2023. The black smoke began in 2007 and 2008 when the Mundari and Bari were fighting each other using guns and when Dinka Aliab combined with Dinka Bor were fighting Mundari using guns. The black smoke for disarmament was affecting Terekeka County alone and two other counties of Central Equatoria State: Juba and Lainya counties.

On 26/8/2008, the former Governor of Central Equatoria State, Maj. Gen. Clement Wani Konga called for forceful disarmament in Terekeka, Juba and Lainya during the commissioners’ forum in Kajokeji. He stressed that the future of the State was unpredictable, with rampant arms in the hands of unauthorised persons. In a nutshell, possessing and misusing guns by unauthorised persons was the problem. The government, therefore, has a legitimate reason to order disarmament to create stability in the State and social harmony among communities that abuse firearms. However, it must be comprehensive in the entire country.

On February 9, 2008, former Vice President of the Southern Sudan Government, Dr. Riak Machar Teny, addressed a public rally in Terekeka and warned that the government would disarm the civil population so that law enforcement organs would take effective charge to maintain security. He advised the Mundari community to voluntarily hand over their guns to the authorities in the State to avoid the SPLA taking them by force. He stated that the proliferation of light weapons in the hands of unauthorised persons was the source of insecurity within communities.

Three days before my appointment as commissioner of Terekeka County, the SPLA 7th Infantry Brigade was sent to disarm the civil population of Terekeka County. The method used was forceful disarmament, which caused horrendous suffering to the civil population in Terekeka town and its peripheries.

The civil population of Terekeka County accused the SPLA Forces of raping women, looting shops, beating people rampantly and killing innocent civilians. Several people were forcefully arrested and detained in military barracks in Terekeka and Kuda. The harsh situation created fear and insecurity in Terekeka town, causing the civilians to flee. The soldiers who were taken for disarmament in Terekeka went with a vendetta to pay back the lost battles of the SPLA during the liberation struggle.

Some of them arrogantly said the Mundari people needed to be liberated because they were the ones who delayed the capture of Juba and Terekeka and that they were Mutamar al Watani (National Congress Party). As a result, the climate was volatile. People have already been killed, others have been arrested, others have been beaten harshly, and others have been in military captivity.

On 10th December 2009, I was appointed to replace Juma Ali Malou as County Commissioner vide Presidential Decree number Ref/GOSS/PD/J/163/2009. My appointment happened when Terekeka was bleeding. On the other hand, Mundari and Bari have a tense conflict, and Dinka Bor, combined with Dinka Aliab, were fighting Mundari. That was the epoch by which I was appointed as county commissioner of Terekeka. The situation needs wisdom and sobriety to harmonise the broken relationship. As a Pastor, I used a peaceful approach to calm the matter.

When the citizens of Terekeka County learned that I was the new commissioner, different voices in Terekeka called me on the phone seeking rescue. Their voices sounded in pain and pleaded: “Maring Lwöke yi”, meaning Maring rescued us. These bleeding voices pierced my heart. I must do something to stop the forceful disarmament in Terekeka. I left the audience celebrating my appointment in my house and met Gen. Isaac Mamur at his home at 11:00 P.m. to request him to stop the ongoing disarmament until I talked with the chiefs to collect the guns.

Gen. Isaac Mamur was very cooperative. He called his Deputy, the SPLA Deputy Director for operations, Maj. Gen. James Ajongo immediately stopped the disarmament until the new commissioner explored new mechanisms to remove the guns from the civilians. This truce relieved the civilians from brutal disarmament in Terekeka County in 2009. In the morning, I was escorted by Gen. James Ajongo, the State police commissioner Late Sebit Makelele, Minister of Local government Hon. Charles Manuel Jongo, Minister of health Hon. Huda Micah Laila, Hon Ramadan Hassan Lako and several MPs from the State and National parliament.

When we arrived at Kuda, the situation was agitated in the army barracks. I ordered the convoy to proceed to Terekeka. We conducted a security meeting with the disarming officers in the County headquarters, and we came up with a new roadmap to disarm the civil population. We stopped the forceful disarmament and held a combined meeting with the chiefs of Terekeka County to give them the responsibility of collecting the guns from the Mundari youths since they knew them by name.

Afterwards, I went to the Barracks to release all the detained civilians in the Terekeka military garrison, including Chief Alphonse Modi. In the Kuda army Barracks, I released Jalish Musa Jalish, Daud Mursal, Abdu Rabbi, Juma Wani Jabir and many others. In the new site, I talked to the Director of Military Intelligence Gen Mac Paul to release Major General Elia Lado Surur and his bodyguards to create harmony with their families.

All these happened because there was cooperation with Gen. Isaac Mamur, Gen. James Ajongo, Director of the Military intelligence Gen Mac Paul whom I met in his office in Bilpam, and the disarmament commanders on the ground Wang Chok and James Wuor and the garrison Commander Abraham. That was the best solution between the new county leadership and the army to stop the forceful disarmament in Terekeka County in 2009/2010. It registered the most peaceful and respectful disarmament in the history of disarmament in South Sudan, which created an understanding between the SPLA and the Mundari community.

The Spokesperson of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army, Major General Kuol Deim Kuol, applauded the former Governor of Central Equatoria State, Major General Clement Wani Konga, County Commissioner Rev. Clement Maring Samuel; Local Administrators; Chiefs and Police for their full cooperation with the disarmament in Terekeka County.

This came from cooperation between the Mundari leaders and their chiefs with the SPLA leaders in Bilpam. I applaud the spirit shown by Gen. Isaac Obutu Momur; the late Gen. James Ajongo, the Spokesperson Kuol Deim Kuol, the disarmament Commander Wang Chiok, James Wuor and Commander Abraham, the county police Director and organised squads.

The Disadvantage of Disarmament on the Local Population of Terekeka County.

The aftermath of the disarmament left peace and stability in the County, but the smile of the people of Terekeka County did not last long. It was followed by tears caused by attacks from the neighbouring communities who attacked them from the rear and front. After learning that the guns of the Mundari people were collected, a joint force of Dinka Bor and Dinka Aliab attacked the Mundari people in Koji Juba. Koji Juba was the biggest Mundari cattle camp of the people living in the villages of Yari, Wujungani, Tukoro, Nyikabor, Gabuta, Mijur, Marakak, Jai, Bambari, Bekat, Pojur, Buranga, Yebisak and Gigging.

The combined force raided 11,130 cattle in these villages and displaced children, women and old persons, creating acute hunger in the displaced persons. The local police were unarmed and could not be able to face the vast armed combined force of the two States of Lakes and Jonglei. On the western side, the affected villages include the people of Bori, Mundari Mulla, Bojor, Loirja, Bura, Longi, Kwernyang, and Tindilo villages.

The people of Gemeiza and Mangalla were affected by the Eastern Bank of the Nile. In Southern Terekeka, some armed youths of Juba County raided the cattle of the Mundari of Kuda in Nyori Payam and Mangala North villages. These were the effects of one-sided disarmament in the country. I am advocating for a comprehensive peaceful disarmament in South Sudan so that there will be relative peace.

In his call for disarmament, Dr Riak Machar targeted Mundari and Murle but not Dinka Bor and Dinka Aliab. He also needed to provide the law enforcement agencies to take charge after the disarmament in Terekeka. The issue, therefore, is not the youths with guns but the leaders who are the problem. State Governor Clement Wani Konga targeted Terekeka, Juba and Lainya in Central Equatoria. Terekeka and Lainya were disarmed, but Juba County was not, leaving a gap for the armed Bari to attack Mundari for revenge.

Whereas the reasons for disarming the Mundari community were right, the selective disarmament of tribes in South Sudan was wrong. The political leaders in authority must make a comprehensive disarmament countrywide to avoid a relapse to recycling guns.

The 2009 disarmament in Terekeka County happened towards the end of December 2009, but it was conducted in 2010. It is now 14 years, and some days that disarmament again happens in Terekeka County. Authorities should ask themselves why the Mundari youths relapsed to arms and how they acquired the guns since they were disarmed in 2009/2010.

The government did not control the guns from recycling back to the communities. Stringent measures must be implemented to stop the arms from being recycled back to civilians by influencing the arms stores in the military barracks. The same military should discipline themselves from releasing guns and ammunition to civilians for money. Undoubtedly, the same guns removed today from the Mundari youths will be recycled. The army must stop these practices if they want a safe South Sudan.

The Ongoing Disarmament in Terekeka County

The current disarmament in Terekeka County started on 9th July 2023 after a confrontation between the army and Mundari cattle camp youths in the cattle camps of Wun Kasha and Giru. There was a fighting broiling between two Mundari sections in Giru cattle camps. The killing of the soldiers in Wun Kasha cattle camps and the resistance of the Mundari to hand the culprits in Giru cattle camps resulted in the use of arms between the army and herders.

The government has a sovereign mandate to protect its citizens and guarantee them security. However, this confrontation between the SSPDF and the Mundari cattle camp youths necessitated the disarmament in Terekeka County on 9th July 2023. The day on which all the people of South Sudan were to celebrate their independence was a day of misery in Terekeka County.

The people in the county experienced the deployment of SSPDF into the area, causing panic and fear. An official letter signed by the SSPDF General Chief of Staff, Gen Santino Deng Wol was seen circulating on social media, which seems to be enforcing the orders of the Governor of Central Equatoria State to disarm the Mundari community.

The quest for the disarmament of the Mundari cattle camp youths was not a bad idea because the Mundari youths in the cattle camps misbehaved with their guns. They have been using guns to kill themselves since 2014. The worst nightmare of killing themselves started from 2019 to 2022, and they wanted to repeat the same mayhem in 2023. They also used guns to cause insecurity on the roads and raided cattle. Targeted and revenge killing becomes the norm of the day and spills into targeting individuals in the towns. The act was developing into a warlordism situation similar to that of Somalia.

Gen. Santino Deng Wol has a right to disarm Mundari. However, there is an outcry as to why the Mundari were disarmed alone, leaving their warrior neighbours, Dinka Bor and Dinka Aliab, roaming with their guns.

The Mundari community leaders, represented by Hon. Ramadan Hassan Lako of the National Assembly and the Acting community leader Wani Buyu, among others, have welcomed the removal of guns from the hands of the civil population in Terekeka County because the youths are abusing them and the exercise is going well. It is three months and five days of the disarmament exercise in Terekeka County. The people in the county have cooperated with the SSPDF to reach this milestone.

I applaud the conduct of the SSPDF Disarmament forces, who listened to the advice of the Mundari leaders to confine themselves in one place in Terekeka and allow the chiefs to collect the guns from their people. This is an excellent understanding between the SSPDF and the people of Terekeka County. It is the same with our cooperation with the SPLA (now SSPDF) top leaders in Bilpam and the chiefs in Terekeka County.

The former Commissioner of Terekeka County, Hon. Warnyang Luko Buyu has also welcomed the SSPDF to carry out the disarmament in the county, and he called upon the chiefs to cooperate with the army. This was an outstanding response from the local government leader.

In a nutshell, the ongoing disarmament in Terekeka County is thriving. The government only need to put some remedies to protect the Mundari community from attacks by their armed neighbours so that they will not attack the Mundari like what happened after the disarmament of 2009/2010. We are also calling for removing guns of the Dinka Bor cattle camp youths who are rearing their cattle in the Mundari areas of Tombek, Muni, Bori and Mundari Mulla.

After that, let a reconciliation conference be conducted between Mundari and the two Dinka sections like that of 2010, in which I reconciled the Mundari, Dinka Aliab, and Dinka Bor to live in harmony. South Sudan needs a peaceful country void of fear of any form. Thank you very much for reading this long peace.

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