By Peter Chot Deng,
Opinion,
December 4, 2014(Nyamilepedia) — This article clarifies the tribal inclination of South Sudan Juba-faction army Chief of Staffs, Gen. Paul Malong Awan and the Defense Minister, Koul Manyang Juuk, who are insinuating the general population against rewarding individuals who rebelled against their tribal government, claiming that it will contribute to cycles of violence.
Such statements portray negligence and tribal hatred and mindsets towards the 63 minor tribes and Nuer Ethnic group in particular. It undermines the brutal massacres of one ethnic group, Nuer, who have been killed in thousands since Dec 15, 2013. Today, more than 50, 000 members of Nuer Ethnic group, mostly women, children and unarmed men have been killed by the self-proclaimed “elected” government of Salva Kiir. Kiir was never elected and this is the reason he kills civil population to maintain a political position for which he is not qualified to occupy.
If, for God sakes, this nation cares of BAD PRECEDENT, then the killing of one Ethnic Group to reward a failed and incompetence leadership will set a dangerous precedent that will leave the Dinka tribe vulnerable to future retaliatory massacres like in 1991 when the Nuer responded to 1980s Gajaak massacres. The whole country will collapse if Salva Kiir is rewarded with power after killing an ethnic group, unless this country is put under UN trusteeship, for there will be no reason for the next president to not kill thousands of innocent people if killing is rewarded.
Therefore, if this tribal chiefs in the name of Salva Kiir, Malong Awan and Kuol Manyang, are not ready to share power, then they must be prepared to fight off rebellions for the rest of their lives for South Sudan will be worse than Somalia and Rwanda under Dictatorship of Salva Kiir. Unlike Somalia, South Sudanese fought for over fifty years to be free and have a country where all tribes have equal rights and freedoms.
What Did Malong Really Say?
Malong Awan’s Tribal Sentiments on December 1st, 2014 at Dinka Malual Community Meeting in Juba
Malong, who was broadcasted on the state-owned SSTV, vows to ensure that the Salva Kiir loyal forces will not fear rebels in defense of the illegitimate-Dinka government. Malong told the Dinka gathering that the Dinka are born to rule and therefore they will not allow any one from other tribes to rule this beautiful country that God has given to them.
The Gelweng Chief of Staff, Gen. Paul Malong Awan, pointed out to their militias, so call Gelweng or Gelbany battalions that the responsibility and duty of any army anywhere is to defend the constitution of your people and because the current government is led by a Dinka son it qualifies as a Dinka government, which you must defense to avoid shame to the Dinka community. Malong told his Gelweny that you should never allow any tribe to change their leadership in South Sudan.
Malong said that the Dinka, and particularly Bhar el Ghazal region will one day benefit if their sons defense SalvaKiir leadership. Failure, he said, will destroy Bhar el Ghazal for the rest of generations to come. Malong told Dinka Malual community that their sons and Ugandans will protect their people, the Dinka civilians, and their properties from harmful groups of Riek Machar to maintain peace in the country.
“This is an important duty and we will not relent,” Malong said.
“We the Dinka must put [away] the culture of rewarding people who rebelled with positions for sake of peace because this is what causing the recurring conflict. Even the current peace talks in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, must not be at the expense of those who did not rebel”, Malong said.
Malong told Dinka Malual Community that our government in South Sudan in the past years, has pardoned several individuals from others tribes who rebelled and took arms against Dinka government but we often absorbed them into our army. This is the biggest ignorance that illiterate and uncivilized Dinka populations believe is true although people like Salva Kiir, Kuol Manyang and Malong Awan fought aimlessly for New Sudan Vision to unite Sudan, which has now failed.
Malong told his community that this time our leadership will not allow anyone from others tribes who rebelled and fought us for unfounded marginalization to be reinstated in position of power.
“In May this year, government signed a peace agreement with Murle rebels of David YauYau’s South Sudan Democratic Front, Cobra Faction, in Ethiopia, ending the rebellion in Jonglei state’s Piborcounty.” Malong told DinkaMalual gathering
“This was accepted by our government becuase our community do not want to fight many tribes at one time. We offered Murle community what they want for now but we will eventually turn back to them one day. They cannot get away will a whole state for themselves. We do not have such budgets for individual tribes but for now we have to cut them off from uniting with RiekMachar rebels. It is called divide and rule”Malong said.
Malong explained that YauYau rebelled in 2010 after losing elections to represent Pibor county in Jonglei state’s legislative assembly, and started accusing the Dinka Bor and SPLM party of rigging his votes.
“In 2011 the government planned to assassinate David YauYau as was done to Gen. GatluakGai in Bentiu. Our plan was to offer them amnesties, which they all accepted, but David YauYau escaped the following year and rebelled against the government after receiving leaked information that the government wanted to assassinate him. This time will monitor him closely to avoid the same mistake”Malong told the gathering.
“Our comprehensive plan which has become successful was to reach an greement with David YauYau, which has resulted into creation of Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA). Now we believe that DavidYauYau after being appointed the administrator of the GPPA will not unite with RiekMachar.” Malong said.
Also, the Dinka Minister of Defense, Kuol Manyang accused unnamed neighboring countries of supporting armed opposition groups currently fighting the Dinka Juba establishment regime. Although he feared to mentioned the countries, Kuol Manyang was accusing Sudan, which is an act of cowardice because why should they hire Ugandan mercenaries and Sudanese rebels if they did not want other countries to support rebels?
Kuol made these remarks at a military function in Jonglei where they graduated new recruits of Dinka youth into their Gelbaany and Gelweeng battalion, the Dinka militias, last week and soon they will go to fight the White Army from Nuer counties of Greater Lou- Nuer, Greater Pangak, Greater Latjor and Greater Bentiu Nuer. The reasons they will go to attack Nuer in their own homelands is this stupid thinking that they are an elected government and they should control all territories of South Sudan. If they succeed their remaining enemies will be the people of Equatoria, Murle and Shilluck tribes who rebelled their government in the past because of marginalization and land grab. What Salva Kiir government is doing is an establishment of Jieng-Kingdom to rule the country for the next centuries.
Kuol made it clear that their Dinka government rejected all proposals for power sharing because they cannot share power with the Nuer tribe again. Kuol promised that their Gelweny will defeats their rebels by military means, if not then their government will hire more fighters to help them defeat the rebels. But Kuol Manyang has forgotten that his government in Jonglei state never protected his tribe for over 5 years despise that he was the government and had all resources and a battalion of well-trained national armies.
We the Nuer community worldwide have acknowledged the death of our people and we are glad that members of all tribes, including the Dinka tribe, are mourning the evil and cruel massacres of Nuer children and women but we must assure Kuol Manyang and Malong Awan that like in 1990s our White Armies will never be defeated in their homeland. They will fight to the last man and if Salva Kiir and Kuol are deserving themselves that military will be a solution then we will give them another 10 years before they come their senses in the past.
They resisted Self-determination for 10 years in 1990s but they accepted it at last after death of many people in 2002. Because they cannot learn from their past mistakes they returned the country to war, trying to resist democracy and federalism but they will again fail miserably. It is high time that Kuol Manyang and Malong Awan must come to their senses and save lives of innocent citizens of this country.
The author can be reached at chotdeng@yahoo.com.au
