Press Release,
Sep 16, 2021 —The Leek Community Association in the Arab Republic of Egypt do hereby strongly condemns in the strongest terms possible the unjust letter addressed to chief administrator Hon. Peter Daau Chop Kuer of Ruweng by the Acting Minister of Road and Transport Hon. Simon Mijok Mijak to intentionally annex Panyigay area of Rubkona County to his Parieng County of Ruweng administrative area.
Panyigay has never been part of Ruweng, it is historically part of Leek land and it never belonged to Ruweng Administrative Area and it will never be for them either.
Hon. Simon Mijok Mijak should have addressed the letter to Hon. Joseph Nguen Manytuil, the governor of Unity State, who is the rightful person to open the border-trade between the Republic of South Sudan and Republic of Sudan through Karasana in Southern Kordofan State to Panyigay area of Unity State instead of addressing the letter to the chief administrator of RAA.
The title of the letter itself, which he stated as a “joint official declaration on the opening of the border between the Republic Of Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan on cross border trade” is an offend to the people of Unity State and to Leek inhabitants in particular.
Leek community is therefore regarding Hon. Simon Mijok Mijak as a tribal national minister whose agenda in the ministry is to incite the two peaceful counties to go for unexpected war, in which, they will desperately regret.
His claim as acting national minister does not only jeopardize the social fabric between the peaceful communities of Rubkotna and Ruweng but also violates the constitution of the Republic of South Sudan which states that the land belongs to the people. The annexation by the acting minister is based on tribal mindset and does not necessarily represent his duty as an official.
After the independence of South Sudan in 2011, the government incorporated into the constitution the article of land ownership which gave citizens the full right to the land ownership. However, this newly introduced law did not affect the pre-existing boundaries between the sisterly counties of Rubkona and Ruweng the then Parieng county.
The government of South Sudan still use the colonial boundaries of 1st January 1956 up to date and thus the people of Ruweng have no ground to claim the ownership of our ancestral land, the Panyagay area. If there were to be amendments to the land ownership law then the government has to find a way to initiate that program. We cannot be victimized by the same government which we fought for. We call upon the government to address the land issues as this may endanger the social fabric between these two sisterly counties.
Finally, our second advice to brothers and sisters from Ruweng is that please respect President Salva Kiir Mayardit with all your actions and thoughts as a President for all South Sudanese people, do not put him into hard situation because of tribal agenda.
If you (Ruweng) really mean to have your own administrative area as you claimed, please refrain from claiming what does not belong to you baselessly. Demanding for a separate Administrative Area/State should not be pretext of claiming borders or land which are not yours, that is a serious mistake that will disturb your peaceful co-existence with your neighbors and that will eventually yield regrettable results.
If you Ruweng of Panaru are still serious with your demand for separate Administration as it was already decreed by President Salva Kiir last years, I suggest that a committee of fact finding should be formed by the presidency from the national level with presence of the neutral members from other tribes in which chiefs and elders from both sides, Ruweng Dinka and Leek, Bul and Jikany Nuer who know their border points well be called and lead the Committee to those common border points where the two community members Leek Nuer and Ruweng convince themselves with evidence and facts.
Hence, the Committee will report back their findings to the two principals of the revitalized peace agreement to solve the issue amicably with care, once and for all. In this way, the two communities, Ruweng of Panaru and Leek Nuer, will remain as peaceful neighbor for the rest of their lives in those areas. This is the real issue, you need to think twice.
Any further attempts to reclaim our ancestorial land will force us to act negatively in which I believe will not only jeopardize our peaceful coexistent but will also cause a serous security instability.
Thanks
Gatjuol Daang Luak Teny
Chairman, Leek Community Association Arab Republic of Egypt
