Nyarweng and Twic East, Please De-escalate your Social Media Land Debate in Jonglei State

By Noble Leek Goi, Bor, Jonglei State

Sunday, 21 April 2024 (PW) — Historically, Twic East especially the former Lith and Nyarweng have been hosting themselves peaceful during run ke Pawɛɛr and 1991 without land wrangle. Up todate, some areas deeply in Nyarweng land still bear the names of Twic East citizens who settled there. The famous examples being “Paan Kuir Kuol in Nyarweng Ageer and Arïu Twic in Nyarweng Athɔɔn.

Those days when Twic East want to settle in Nyarweng land, the Chiefs and community leaders discussed it amongst themselves. When Adhiok and Abek were given Wernyol and Pabarchikok to permanently own it as theirs in 1960s, it was through Chiefs’ dialogue.

I believe Twic East and Nyarweng still have the lineage of those Chiefs for them to do the same. As I speak, we have some Nyarweeng who are peacefully staying in TE land but they don’t claim the ownership neither are they being evicted, the same applies to Twic East.

In South Sudan, it is allowed by constitution to stay in someone’s land and even own a plot as long you don’t claim the ownership of the entire land. Acknowledgment of the ownership is what most landlords fight for. Being Nairobi for Masaai which is now for all the Kenyan, Kampala for Baganda which is now for all Ugandans or Juba for Bari which is now for all South Sudanese.

Let us stay together in whichever location that will be identified and still give the owner a credit of ownership whether, Nyarweng, Awulian, Dachuek or Pakeer or any other clan both in Nyarweng and Twic East.

Let us be mindful, most communities in South Sudan are experiencing inter-clan conflict because of land issues. The Twic and people of Abyei conflict is all about land issue and it has cost lives of innocent people, just like some inter clan conflicts that had occurred in Jonglei State.

Social media campaigns is unhealthy medium of communication to pass sensitive informations.
In the record of Nyarweng Dinka, they neither fought amongst themselves nor with one of their Dinka neighbours and that define and portray their humility characters amongst themselves and with their neighbours.

The history has it that, separation and handling of issues according to age groups or gender is well known for Twic East, Nyarweng and other Dinka sub-tribes in Jonglei State.

I acknowledged the fact that, some Eastern areas of Nyarweng and Twic East had been abandoned because of insecurity for over 20 years and others for over 50 years.

Resettlement in such areas can bring unnecessary tension if one prepare to go and settle without informing his neighbour so that they can both go and monitor their previous borderline.

As a matter of fact, it is good for both communities to sit together and discuss particular areas of interest in the East that they want to assess and explore for their resettlement and discuss the ownership in case if need arise.

Traditionally, during cultivation time, neighbours do go to their farms borderlines and properly demarcate it in their present to avoid conflict and encroachment of the other one.

I witnessed this practice being done frequently during farming seasons. Chaos usually arise when one farmer goes and start marking the borderline in the absent of the other one.

I therefore, urge my neighbours from Twic East to put Nyarweng into picture in whichever area they want to assess in the East whether for Twic East or for Nyarweng, so that Nyarweng shouldn’t have suspicion of land grabbing that they are having currently.

Communities that have lived peacefully for centuries can’t have grudges of land which is still not yet inhabited.

In conclusion, I urge all the extremists on both sides to peacefully rest the online debate about the land issue. Nyarweng, since it is not yet clear which section of Twic East is claiming Lalaken or Kadiang, there is no need to worry. Community lands are always claim by sections who are bordering each other, but not entire community/County as it is the case now.

I once again urge to remain calm until one section openly declare itself as the owner and you will handle it professionally like previous resettlements. If mishandle, the enemies of progress might see and fill a gap to fuel it more.

The community leaders, Gen. Deng Leek Deng and Amb. Gen. Bior Ajang Duot and the chiefs of Nyarweng and Twic East, plus senior intellectuals on both sides are handling this in a peaceful manner offline including those in Kadiang.

In this world, someone will never be in peace if you are in conflict with one of your neighbours leave alone all, regardless of being powerful or not. Communities of Jonglei State are not in peace back home, because they are not in peace with Murle as one of their neighbours.

It is the reason God said, “love your neighbour as you love yourself.” God knew the importance of a neighbour that is why he equated it to one’s self.

For Twic East and Nyarweng to stay peacfully, they should have peace amongst themselves and their neighbours as well.

Peace be with you mïth ke Nyarweeng kënnë mïth ke Twic East.

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