Juba, South Sudan
August 23, 2021—In reference to the above subject, we as Bul community demand an apology from the Nuer Community for being isolated and targeted on several occasions on the basis that we stood with the government in 2013. Before I proceed, I would like to take you through a brief background of the conflict in South Sudan.
South Sudan plunged into conflicts in December 2013, when the incumbent First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny attempted to overthrow the Democratically elected President of the Republic of South Sudan, H.E Gen Salva Kiir Mayardit. The failed Coup De’tat resulted in a bloody civil war that has cost the lives of an estimated 300,000 civilians in a nation of 12.3 million people. The war has displaced over 2.7 million people and 200,000 seeking shelter at UN peacekeeping bases in South Sudan. Over 2 million South Sudanese have fled as refugees to neighbouring countries such as Uganda, Sudan and Kenya.
In December 2013, I, Gen Bapiny Manytuil Wejang and Hon. Tut Gatluak Manime decided to stand firm to protect the Constitution from those who rebelled against the state. We managed to protect the government by controlling the entire western Upper Nile because we believe it was our Constitutional mandate as citizens to protect the sovereignty of our nation. In such regard, H.E Dr Riek Machar went to mobilize and confuse the Nuer Community that the reason behind his failure to topple the government was because the majority of Bul Nuer stood firmly with the government and indeed The Four sections of the Nuer Community believed his reasoning and victimized Bul community without conscious reasoning.
These have been demonstrated by countless attacks on Bul innocent civilians in United Nations protection of civilian sites (POCs) here in Juba and Bentiu that resulted in numerous losses of innocent souls on the basis that they supported the Kiir government. Bul were attacked at the refugees settlement in Uganda, Kenya and Sudan on the same ground. The Nuer community, However, did not recognize the role played by Bul sons who were with Dr Riek Machar in the person of Late Gen Peter Gatdet Yak, Maj. Gen Tito Biel, Maj. Gen. Peter Lim Bol and the rest of the officers who were so committed in SPLA-IO. The contribution of these officers was ignorantly underrated by the Nuer Community on the profile of being from Mayom.
In 1997, Hon. Paul Liyliy Mathot decided to challenge Taban Deng in the race for Unity State Governorship. Paul won the election but Dr. Riek Machar rigged the results in favor of Taban and continued by mobilizing the entire Bentiu Nuer communities against Bul. 20 officers from Bul were murdered in cool blood in Bentiu town in one day by Forces allied to Riek Machar and he further ordered Tito Biel Chuor to deal or wipe out Bul in Bentiu which resulted in a very heavy fighting in Rupnyagai between forces allied to Paulino Matip and Tito Biel Chuor. Instead for the two communities (Bul and Jikany) to resolve their differences amicably, he intervened in favor of one community (Jikany) and caused a lot of destructions and disaster that had never happened in Bentiu history before he was born.
When I, Bapiny Manytuil and Hon. Tut Gatluak came from the north in 2013, we found that the SPLM had differences already that resulted into 15th, Dec 2013 fighting in Juba. We stood against mutinees as individuals but the Nuer Community targeted people from our community. Within Bentiu, Bul who tried to go to Mayom were targeted on their Way and some youth and women were forced to be face-marked in a Dinka style on the basis that they are Dinka because we stood against Riek Machar. Bul girls were subjected to rape and torture by the Bentiu Nuer Communities. All these inhuman acts were perpetrated by Nuer community against Bul and no one had ever voiced a day that Bul are innocent people. I believe everyone has got opinion to choose his political future and i did exactly what it is. The reason why I did not follow him in 2013 is because I know him as a total failure who can never achieve any progress in his political career.
The countless attacks on the Bul population have led to the culmination of internal conflicts and hatred within the Nuer Community.
Dr. Riek Machar deserves to be blamed for misleading the Nuer Community for decades since 1991, 1997, 2013 and 2016. Yes, It is normal to fail twice but you can’t repeat it the third and fourth time without evaluating what went wrong or what needs to be corrected? Now the SPLM/A – IO is disintegrating due to countless defections of Nuer officers who are dissatisfied with the way Dr Riek Machar run the movement as his personal property. The appointment of his family members to the top positions in the R-TGONU is a clear indication that he was only using the Nuer community for his benefit.
The recent Kitgwang declaration led by Gen Simon Gatwech Dual, Gen Johnson Olony and Lt. Gen Mabor Dhol which caused massive division within the SPLM/A-IO and Nuer community as well was a result of dissatisfaction with the way the movement is led by Dr. Riek Machar himself. The Nuer community have now realised that Riek Machar is only killing their children for his own personal benefits. If the Nuer community have realise that the angel of yesterday is a demon of today then we as Bul community will demand for an immediate apology for wrong deeds including the lexicons developed and directed toward Bul community.
Dr. Riek Machar believes the problem of Nuer community is when he is not in the position of power which is very wrong. These have been substantiated by his countless rebellions against SPLM/A since 1991. He only used the Nuer Community to achieve his political ambition and drop them when the mission is completed. He had killed so many dreams of potential young people.
The beginning of Dr. Riek’s rebellion is victorious and the end is usually in tears. I am happy that the Naath community are seeing exactly what I told them in 2013 that Dr. Riek Machar is only finishing our people for personal gains. Now, if the Nuer have realised the same thing that the Bul community stood against in 2013, then we as the Bul community will demand an apology for the misdeeds of the past against us (Bul community).
Yours in Service,
Hon. Bapiny Manytuil Wejang
Chairperson of Bul’s initiative for peace and Reconciliation.
