By Simon Tut,
Opinion.
March 19, 2015(Nyamilepedia) — In our nuer cultural traits we learnt that we offer great hospitality, we go extra miles to make a visitor(s) feel at home, the visitor(s) is served in a golden plate never used regularly by any of the family member, we can served out the last meal to the visitor(s) although we know the next day would be spent without a single meal. We treats the outsiders with respect and great humility and we even GIVE OUTSIDERS LEADERSHIP which is a prized possession to other tribes or communities and would never be given away regardless. These are the behaviors we NUÄRI MUST ceased with an immediate effect as our good heart is being exploited by others whose goals are to see our demised.
In writing this WARNING article, I was reflecting on the day and time when DR MARIAL BENJAMIN was brought to UROR COUNTY of Lou nuer land by our prominent long time leader in GABRIEL YOAL DOK. Mr Dok introduced Marial Benjamin to Lou and nuer in general as our own son whose our blood runs through his veins. He furthermore, stressed on how a bald headed Marial Benjamin grew up with his brothers and sisters, pointing out that Marial’s father is a nuer from LOU of UROR and his mother is a dinka from AGAAR of LAKE STATE not knowing that the bald headed man would come to denied him (YOAL DOK ) a chance to be a Member of Parliament representing the people of UROR county. Throughout their lives Marial and his siblings has never known or came closer to nuer people as their father died their mother made Marial, Maker Benjamin and the rest of siblings lost direct connection with the nuer. They were brainwashed by their mother and nurtured under the impression that their uncles’ land was their only home.
WHAT PROMPTED MARIAL MIGRATION TO LOU NUER?
In the time when we were in transitional period between 2005 to 2010, the then Government of South Sudan (GoSS) was going through political transformation, representation of the people via constituencies or counties were the lullabies of the day, meaning that anyone who has a dream and ambition to be a Member of Parliament MUST be voted in by the people of the County he or she wishes to represent thus came the dilemma for Marial Benjamin in his uncles’ land where his mother belongs.
Dr Marial wanted to represents the AGAAR people of LAKE STATE CENTRAL COUNTY unfortunately, Marial Benjamin faced a brutal discrimination from the real sons and daughter of the locals, in particular his challengers for the seat of Lake State Central County who told Marial that “You don’t belong to Dinka AGAAR, You are a nuer and you belong to them not us”. Â Marial then consulted with Dr Riek Machar and he was introduced to the LOU NUER LEADER and elder GABRIEL YOAL DOK who then hurriedly took him to UROR county.
WHY I WROTE THIS ARTICLE?
In listening to Dr Marial Benjamin speech after the divisive rally they organized in Juba that thwarted the hope of peaceful ends to the 15 months Salva Kiir’s self imposed war, I came to realized(disgusted) that our good sincere treatment for people is always taken for granted and in returned used to hurt and destroy us.
In his own word Marial Benjamin honestly denied being a nuer or having any affiliation with them in any format. He said “I am not a Nuer, whether culturally or characteristically “.
To conclude, I call upon Lou nuer of UROR, Lou nuer in general and entire Nuer Nation to learn a great lesson in the case of Marial Benjamin and in how we have in the past and present use our magnificent perception in welcoming people. The world is now changing and we must desire to change with it. We have to critically revised how we used our nutural gift(hospitality) as it is being used by many for our downfall. We have been accommodative for too long and now is the time to limit the use of this God given gift and offer it to those who needs it the most.
WE MUST WAKE UP, STOP BEING TOO NAIVE AND SEE BEYOND THE HORIZON!
SIMON TUT / Changkuothnyatungong is a nuer son and a concerned South Sudanese and a freedom fighter who is advocating for a change of regime for peace to return to South Sudan. He can be paged via the followings :
Facebook: Changkuothnyatungong Gatnyamiraan
Email : changkuothnyatuong@yahoo.com
11 comments
The leaders across south Sudan who will be charge with the burden of bringing South Sudan together have tough Job a head. Fortunately Nuers are forgiving people by nature and I think they will find a common ground to reconcile with those who betrayed them as a community. Individually though it will be difficult.
It’s a BIG SHAME for someone to disown his/her identity for of money.Marial,shame on you sir!
sorry for Marial, Let him take Nuer Blood off of his body because he is a Dinka period!
Simon Changkuoth Tut, you nailed it right! We Nuer must change our deep cultural hospitality,meekness, quick sympathetic, and assimilation approaches. The politico_ economy globe is changing daily,monthly and annually.Hence, whether we take it or not it must forced us to change without our mutual consents. It is really a shock and panicky for a disowned Dinka_ Nuer son like Dr Marial Benjamin Bil Lual to stabbed badly his own backbone the Uror County _ Lou Nuer who elected him unanimously during his Parliamentarian campaign after he was disowned by his uncles from Dinka Agaar in Lake State.It is a big lesson for entire Nuer and Lou Nuer in particularly Not to assimilate too quickly at our mid Dinka_ Nuer backgrounds. Dr Marial in his own words when interviewed by SSTV broadcaster Garang John said “it is better to die rather be called a Nuer son after this turmoil”. Well, we Nuer are proud to for being from “Nei Tin Naath” ( non cannibal humankind) . Thus; denying your culture and identity wouldn’t help and solve your in superiority and servitude spirit at all.
The guy know nothing about nuer and their none analytical minds. The current situation was caused by lack of nuer patience. Whether coup took place or not, riek’s rebellion justified his intentions. Had he not created this rebellion, kiir would have fallen into deep shit without excuses. Blame yourself not marial or kiir who has capitalized on your stupidity and took full advantage it.
You so called naath (Nuer) is better to start blaming yourselves as the commmunity in general for your vaccum assumption that you are going to rule peoiple of south sudan by force. The question is ” Is it possible or Imposible? you Nuers try to find answers by yourslves and come to the point if you can do it
We should do that.Giving this give to Marial became and resulted as a factor to the masscleansing of Nuer tribe every where in s.sudan
its really a shame for as we nuer people who still said we re good or kind to unknown leader like bald headed marial benjamin, although let just keep says we re kind to stranger whose generate their lifestyle from their own orgins ihope god will see our kindness.
my brother Simon, the way you see Dr. Marial is not the way other people see him, everyone have his/her glasses of viewing others personalities, to tell you how I personally see him he is a nationalist compared to others South Sudanese not Nuer alone.
Some people including me said if position is meant for Nuer it should be given to Dr. Marial than Dr. Riek, Dr. Taban and others Doctors of Nuer who are rebelled against government. Dr. Marial is the best among these Doctor
To my dear brother Simon. we are the real Nuer. no matter what you are believe or claim our DNA is Nuer and we will remain Nuer until the end of planet earth.