December 26th, 2018 Juba (Nyamilepedia) – Former South Sudan governor of Upper Nile State Simon Kun Puoch has warned of a social ‘isolation’ and ‘identity’ crisis against a fellow Nuer politician who did not rebel against President Salva Kiir’s government following the Juba massacre which took place in December 2013.
Fighting erupted within South Sudan’s Presidential Guards also known as Tiger Battalion following a political dispute between President Salva Kiir and former Vice President Dr. Riek Machar at a National Convention for the ruling SPLM party being conducted at Nyakuron Cultural Centre in Juba at the time.
The results were the killings of ethnic Nuer civilians by a government-sponsored militia who were then executing a ‘state policy’ to clean the capital Juba of its Nuer population as reported by the African Union Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan.
The killing of Nuer civilians in Juba angered many Nuer politicians and military commanders and rebelled against the government of President Salva Kiir with few, one of whom is governor Simon Kun Puoch, staying behind with Kiir in Juba.
The Nuer politicians who decided to stay with Kiir have been seen by many Nuer people as traitors who have traded the blood of the innocent Nuer civilians killed in December 2013 with money.
Addressing a church congregation in the capital Juba on Tuesday during Christmas prayers, the ex-Upper Nile governor said they are facing dilemma saying they are no longer trusted by Kiir and the Nuer people
“We are no longer trusted by the President. Our fellow Nuer so far rejected us to an extent of giving and calling us names, creating songs in our names, teaching the young generation about us,” he told fellow politicians during a Christmas mass in Juba.
Simon Kun who served as the Upper Nile state governor from 2010 and until his dismissal in 2015 said the ‘Dinka’ government they offered to serve is not in a position to appreciate their sacrifice.
“In other hands, the Dinka whom we have sacrificed our own personal resources, values, and lives to maintain their power is not in that position to recognize our varieties of contributions and, as such, the Dinka are skeptical and irresponsible to any of our political demand we the Nuer politicians,” he said.
