By Dr James Okuk- PhD
April 5th, 2015 (Nyamilepedia)- When faced with choice between two evils, choose none even if one of the choices is a lesser evil in a utilitarian term of “principle of double effects”. This is the bottom line of postulates of Christian morality. Hence, the Democratization and Human Rights Independent Journalist, Mr. Peter Gai Manyuon, is advised to note this about Dr. James Okuk because the biography he provided is purely propagandist and out of anger against for no any substantiated apparent justification.
Mr. Peter would have not looked nonsensical had he remained general without getting specific about the personality and academic qualifications of Dr. Okuk, which he is ignorant about. Also it would have been less stupid had he consulted the Library of University of Nairobi to get the correct title and content of the thesis and be informed whether it was given to South Sudanese intellectuals globally to critique. University of Nairobi is a no-joke academic institution. If it awards a student a PhD degree it means it.
Dr. Okuk was ranked one of the best and youngest of his batch, supervised for four years by Prof. Joseph Nyasani and Associate Prof. Dr. Karori Mbugua who are well known for their intellectual keenness in the area of political philosophy. Three of his colleagues failed to make it in time as they stumbled in defending their theses in front of tough external examiners.
Regarding my relationship with Dr. Lam Akol, I don’t need to waste time on it because it is a blood and lineage link that no human being can take away. Dr. Lam is my paternal uncle from Doleib Hill (Katum Ted as called by Nuer) in Panyikango County of the Royal Shilluk Kingdom in Upper Nile State, and with pride of what he is, both intellectually and politically. Dr. Lam is an honest and genius hardworking astute politician who doesn’t entertain lies in order to cover the truths that need to be known with time.
However, what I write is my own intellectual property with copyright, and what Dr. Lam writes is his. If our writings happen to converge at some instances then you need to treat them as incidents of truth coincidences worth noting. Dr. Lam cannot accept to write an article, leave alone a thesis, for another person. Get this well from me if you have not got the chance to know him very closely.
Any way let me get back to what is at the stake without unnecessary distractions as it is said that small minds find consolation in discussing people while big minds find delight in discussing ideas.
First, Mr. Peter Gai, should know that shame is the destiny of liars and evil-promoting propagandists, not those who have the courage to revere and say the truth even while in the lion mouth.
Secondly, any human life matters because it is a sanctity matter; no laughing and no celebration. That is why lies shouldn’t be tolerated on loss lives of people in South Sudan whether they are Nuer members or non-Nuer ethnicities. The lie on above 20,000 Nuer members killed ‘genocidedly’ in Juba on 15, 16, 17 and 18 December 2013 shouldn’t continue to be tolerated because this is not a laughing matter.
We should be accurate on death counts and know what constitutes ‘genocide’ strictly as defined in ICC Rome Statute and in the UN ocuments. If there are people who thrive or want to gain power on dead bodies in South Sudan, I think it is time to tell them ‘enough is enough’ against this evil tactical practice.
Thirdly, we don’t need to crack our heads on this matter because we can come up with some basic understanding based on simple logical calculus. It could go like this:
1) Check the Number of Nuer Population in Juba before 15 December 2013.
2) Check the number of Nuer members who took refuge in UNMISS camps (Jebel and Airport) on 16, 17 and 18 December 2013 in Juba but don’t include the non-Nuer members who took refuge there as well.
3) Subtract the latter (2) numbers from the former population
4) Subtract the number of the Nuer members who managed to escape from Juba via UNMISS camps or through other routes.
5) Add the number of the Nuer members who are still camping in UNMISS at Jebel in Juba now to those who went back to their homes and to those who have managed to escape from Juba to other safer places inside or abroad.
6) Subtract the comprehensive addition (5) from the Nuer population in Juba before 15 December 2013 (1) and you can get to a conclusion that the actual number of Nuer members who targetedly got killed in Juba will not be above 20,000 as it has been propagated by SPLM/A-IO and their sympathizers.
Fourthly, what is known, though not presently said, is that the biggest death in Nuer tribe came from the very Nuer politicians and liars (i.e., politikach in Nuer Language) themselves who mobilised the White Army and other Nuer sectors to die in masses in front lines of the current senseless war of power greed between the cursed SPLM leaders?
The Nuer tremendous loss to young men in front lines in and around, Bor, Malakal, Poktap, Nasir, Ayod, Bentiu, etc, is very painful but it is the consequence of taking up arms against a constitutional government. The same goes to the Dinka, Shilluk and other Sudanese who were killed by the Nuer members in the course of the current war.
That is is why the bashing of both sides (government and rebels) in the current war in South Sudan is correctly justifiable.
Yes, any war criminal on humanity whether he hails from Dinka, Nuer, Shilluk or any tribe in South Sudan should face the force of criminal law (nationally or internationally) in reparation to the innocent victims but not soldiers or armed groups in front lines. That is, rebels and other war inciters and violence pursuers should never be treated as victims because they are equally the selfish perpetrators who have harmed the Republic of South Sudan in the situation it is today.
Regarding the fact of who have been occupying lands of other people in South Sudan, we don’t need lectures but practical examples on this matter. It was the Nuer who have been occupying Tonga Nyijwad (Pangak as they renamed it), Doleib Hill, Obel, Ashabinil, Wic Liel (Wic Mabor as they renamed it), Adhithiang, Warjwok, etc of the Shilluk Kingdom since the time the Nuer militias allied themselves with Jellaba.
Thy even wrote to Upper Nile Governor without any shame to allow them to have their county names and chiefs stationed within the Shilluk Kingdom. On the other hand, the Dinka tried to annex Atar, Obang, Wic Pig, Anakdiar, Wic Uluth, Nyigiir (Bilthiang as they renamed it), Thangrial, Melut, etc but didn’t occupy most of the claimed annexes as the Nuer did.
Bur thanks to Kiir-Riek current war of power that has flashed the Nuer out of the Shilluk lands. It will not be an easy matter for them to reoccupy those lands again. The Dinkas of Upper Nile have been good neighbours of Shilluk and they will dialogue it out in a peaceful manner to resolve the conflicts on the claimed lands. There will not be any intention of genocide between them. The Nuer needs to learn the value of dialogue in the civilized world. Violence will not help them!
Finally, you would have better left the response to Mr. Stephen Par Kuol because we know each others. But for your information, he has not been an Ambassador yet, perhaps in future if things went well with him. The fact that he kept quiet is an indicator that he got cornered on not telling the truth as it should have been told. He know his bias and it is understandable to some of us.
Dear Mr. Peter Gai, know that I don’t claim to be a lecturer in Juba University. I have been lecturing there actually and graduated two batches, so far so good. Take time to go around and you will be amazed of my students in the real world who will tell you how they appreciate my nationalistic contribution in teaching them in an excellent manner. Some of the finalists whose research projects I supervised hail from Nuer tribe and they will admit to you how I directed them to write objective research papers using academic methodology.
This is enough to tell you that I am already working and contributing concretely and positively for the well being of the Republic of South Sudan. Why should a worker be under pressure of seeking for a work? Illogical, isn’t it? Some of us respect law because it is safer to do so. That is why we cannot join Dr. Riek’s rebellion or form one even when the SPLM leadership behaves badly. We believe in non-violence approach in resolving conflicts. You will one day come back to where we stand and you will then understand it better.
Neurologists have no use to truth-tellers and sincere intellectuals. It will be waste of money to see them, but if you think you need to because of the anger and lies that came out in your thoughts against my article, you may try. Perhaps some of us who are the willing are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. After all, stay well!
Dr. James Okuk is lecturer and public analyst in the area of politics. He lives in Juba and can be reached at okukjimy@hotmail.com
26 comments
What he is talking about,please help! he is Murmuring methinks.
I don’t understant what Mr.Peter Gai Manyuon means!by saying Dr.James Okuk should not see a neurologist!.What is the work of the neurologists?
Shilluks people are defending the government of South Sudan for one year and half. So what happen now in Upper Nile between Dinka and Shilluks ? Why the same government you are defending is massacring you now ? It’s because you’re fighting on the wrong side. I wonder what will chollos do after that barbaric killing of his members by the tribal government of Kiir Mayardit. Everybody knows that the government of South Sudan is just using Shilluk people to fight Nuer Nation. None in his right mind can defend the rotten government of South Sudan. So good luck with your friends dinka, but we Nuer people are determined to defeat your rotten system of the governing of South Sudan.
The Shilluk are not fighting for this government………..Understand that! I am surprised that up to this time you are unable to know the reason.
Why fighting in the Shilluk land while you have many Dinka areas at your sight and places like Paloc could be detrimental in winning the war if you occupy?.
That gives the Shilluk suspicion that this war is not just overthrowing Kiir, but other hidden agenda are in play here.
it is a well narrated and informative story
“the willing are doing the impossible” of denying and distorting the fact of thousands who died. The cynical motive of self serving but quite far from sincere servicing the national interest of…
I don’t understand what Mr. Peter Gai manyuon means by saying!Dr. James Okuk should not see a neurologist!What is the work of the neurologists?!Does he mean a psychiatrists????????
This articles is titled — ” Why Dr. James Okuk Should Not See the Neurologists! ” & it is written By Dr James Okuk- PhD & as a respond to an earlier article titled — ” Dr James Okuk Should See Neurologist! ” By Mr. Peter Gai Manyuon
Here the Dr & NOT Gai Manyuon tried to explain that he is not sick. I am just not sure if he(the Dr) has really convinced any of the readers because he has not present any records from his family doctor telling the world that he is sane. And that his problem is that he is a writer for hire whose cynical motive is to please Kiir and appease the ethnic regime which is currently executing his chilluk tribes men on land disputes in Upper Niles.
I personally think the Dr should gear his articles toward educating the masses on economic and poverty reduction by stopping the oppressions and war which are the main cause of the poverty.
I think Dr. Okuk, you are wrong. You are wrong in the sense that we are not the people you and Kiir thinks we are. Kiir thinks that we are not South Sudanese who have inalienable rights that you Okuk know very well as devised by John Locke. Rather the Jieng people have got those rights in the country though we did not agree.That was the very reason why Kiir killed our people the Shulluk, Murle and Nuer etc in sequent beginning from 2006-2010 to date. Another issue which you think is still beyond those of Peter’s understanding is the fact that your co-optation by Kiir govt in which you and your boss Dr. Ajawin ended up conceding to lesser evil ( receiving military ranks and some money as appeasement)is never sacrosanct to mention dear bro.Your party’s political ideology is democracy known by almost everybody. But joining Kiir in the fight against Dr.Machar qualifies you n others in your party to be labelled as co-murderers on the meta-genocide against Nuer people. The case of the grant total of the Nuer you people killed in Juba is over 20,000. This fact that we cannot debate here because you suffered to have placed yourself in your govt. Now yr govt turned to resume the killing of Shulluk people as usual because you might be soon talking of what South Sudanese need- Democracy, your party former political ideology which you and your uncle Ajawin sacrificed for lesser good, you know what I meant. I can say that what you wrote is a good article with less meaning as I can see the substance of your article embedded with cynical attitude, which needs healing to ease. Today our people Shulluk were severely defeated by Kiir’s forces in Bilthisng and Dr. Ajawin is now in open arrest in Juba. I personally confirmed not only from media but also from a shulluk govt friend who is holding his passport. This is your govt. dear apologist, Dr. James Okuk, I personally respect your opinion and yet regretting yr myopic political perspective in our country temporarily.
Dr. James OKUK, I like your dear an article, you are a good writer. I like the line that u said, Dinka and Shilluk had been a good neighborhood for long time, so they can work out their disputes peaceful. thanks a lot.
Gatkuoth Lok, don’t you Nuer evaluate or ask yourself why other tribes choose less devil between Dinka and Nuer? Because the other tribes don’t trust you. You don’t acknowledge your mistake, instead you dodge it by lying and threatening. Jieng will acknowledge the killing of Nuer in one way or others, but don’t lied by increasing the number that had been killed in Juba. If you read Africa Union leak, you would find out that most of Generals named in the leak are Jieng and they acknowledge it idirect and indirect the killing of Nuer, but nobody know the Number. Any way, go a head with lied preaching.
Gatkuoth Lok
Inciting fight between South Sudan communities is your wishes. Shilluk will never join Nuer. If they want to fight Dinka , they will fight Dinka and you Nuer too, because they don’t trust you.
Awfully shallow and dangerously myopic that you would actually encourage chulluks to fight Nuers because of lack of trust. There got to be a better reason than that don’t you think! You have not much of a capacity to do that simple task ofcourse.
I can tell from your comments that you are really smart. But you seem to be blindly supporting everything being done by the Nuer rebels without considering the damages they caused to other adjacent communities.
Try to be neutral and you will understand why other communities are not joining you despite the fact that they equally hate this useless government.
Edward,
You must be out of mind like Okuk, who is fighting for his own paycheck in Juba. In the movement you termed as Nuer movement or Nuer rebels is now comprise of all tribes.
For instance, as I speak with you, we have big number of Shilluk fighters on the ground and a good number of Collo politicians as well. Beside, Shilluk we have Murle fighters today on the ground around Pibor surrounding areas.
The movement has huge number of Balanda fighters on the ground in Wau and big number of politicians from Balanda. We have good number Equatorians rebels and politicians, and finally there are hundreds of thousand rebels and politicians of Dinka in the rebellions.
If you think this South Sudanese’s struggle for democratic change is a Nuer rebellions only, then you are lying to yourself. Do not say this is Nuer movement because it is lead by Nuer man or because you are not part of it. Anyway just believe what you want to believe.
Mr. Deng II, you reread Okuk, you ve drew a premature conclusion n hence irrational, nonsensical and absurd.
Dr. Okuk,
If Dr. Lam Akol is really your uncle, then you need to learn from him. I agree with you that Dr. Akol is smart man, intelligence, and well inform politician. I admire Dr. Lam for his strong person skills.
However, since you are a doctor like your uncle Dr. Lam, please be respectful like Dr. Lam do not just throw out your word stupidly. Learn from Dr. Lam, write like him, and talk like him. You are young stop making delusion arguments for the sake of money.
If I have to ask you a question, you have ever see Dr. Lam Akol speaks like the way you talk when addressing matters? Dr. Okuk, your hatred for Nuer may earn money in Kiir’s government, but it will damage your political credibility in the future.
You think you are doing this dirty game for Nuer only, but other tribes are reading your articles and discredit you for denying facts. Anyway good luck on your denial for the Nuer massacre.
Dr. Okuk,
I really got concerned when I read your article about the land issues and claims between Shulluk and Nuer and Shulluk and Dinka. In my years of existence, I have not heard a recent conflict between Nuer and Shulluk on land issues. It has been the Dinka Padan and Shulluk who has some land disputes starting in 2009 Malakal incident which after defeat, resulted in the formation of Johnson Olong group, Ayuok Ogad group and Robert Gwang group. None of these groups ever fired a gun at any Nuer neighbourhood.
The same problem which you describe as Shulluk and Dinka resolving their issues peacefully has been tested for few days now in Upper Nile by the killing of Deputy of Johnson Oluny by Dinka militias and the fighting was continuing until yesterday with all Shulluk forces now dislodged to the West Bank of the Nile.
Now, for you naming Nuer areas that are under South Sudan government control after they liberated them from rebels as Shulluk lands, you are effectively putting the Shulluk Kingdom at risk which you couldn’t even start to imagine. You cannot open two fronts against the Shulluk and expect them to win that fight. Don’t even think that because you will end up losing everything in the Kingdom.
I want you to know that the Nuer were not defeated in the areas you mentioned by Shullluk if that is what emboldens you to make such utterances; it is the Nuer politicians from those areas who are still in government who advised their people there to allow the government to come in. Tell me one war in which the Nuer and Shulluk fought and they captured Nuer land or defeated the Nuer? Please talk to your uncle Dr. Lam Akol. He will tell you that what you are preaching is more dangerous. Dr. Lam knows, he will never fit the Shulluk against the Nuer. He knows better!
I thought you were one of the beautiful minds of this new country I watched your rare SSTV times where I thought you were interesting guy to listen to , given the fact that everyone on that station sing war and Riak Machar blame game , look at you instructing university level at the same time you believe we can divide land based on our tribe you and your cholo kingdom with all the land , Nuer , Dinka , Luo , equatoria with their own land . Tell me how can we be a country if we want a tribal mark lands based in our diversity
Nyaluak,
Welcome back home. Now tides are turning and some of you the Nuer sell outs start to think critically about the next move. Indeed most if not all of you thought that this war is between government and opposition by forgetting that there is only a tribal entity in Juba and not a government. You can now see the writing of Okuk by defending what he terms as a legitimate government while the same is massacring his people in Upper Nile State. Okuk is a position and materialistic seeking individual and nothing short of that. Anyway, thanks for telling the truth Nyaluak. Your comments of recent indicate that you begin to see the light and hope more of your type will follow suit.
Dr. Okuk James,I the part of your article that tries to justify the number of nuer people killed by the government which they elected to power. You said they can not exceed 20,000 people. That means you acknowledge the fact that they can reach 20,000 people. Not so? Dr.don’t play around with issue of that nature. The world is watching. Don’t think if M7 is to your side then you have everything. Ask yourself how did M7 leave DRC,in the name of m23? Don’t think those who were killed in juba are cut from trees,Dr. It is unfortunate you did not even define genocide. Israel is a small nation surrounded by all,but non enemies,they are surviving. Those were not chicken which can be killed and the story ends there. Be wiser,you call your self a doctor but show it to us. You ate spreading hatred but not peace at all. Me I need my brothers back home.
If you are young don’t enter the issues of adults. I see you acknowledge that you are young. Go play with your fellow children in the sand. Leave the issues of adult to adult.
Okuk is my fellow friend, he cannot answer us because he is at the wrong side defending undefended Kiir’s regime which is Killing his pple, the shulluk now in Shulluk kingdom.
Hoiloom,
I tell you time and time again that I am not a tribalist. I always explain the other side. You think that I am in agreement with you these days, but it is only because my people on government side are writing narrow articles which leave out real facts as your group supporters often does. That is all!
One other thing I would like to advice my brothers is that you can NOT force Dr. Riek Machar out of the politics of south Sudan. The man is too bright for them(those who oppose him). The US are aware of that fact even. Kiir seems to be a kid to machar,via interlectuality and nation building.
Riek is too doom not bright. Riek will come back with peace to live only like he did before. Not for presidency.
Shiluk believe in Kiir Kingdom that is why James Okuk said lesser evil, He choose Kiir to be lesser evil because he has money and Machar don’t. Now all true Shiluk are a shamed of Kiir kingdom. They killed general and called Dr.Lam as a man from no where in Africa plus they continue calling Olony as Militia till now. Okuk said Nuer left Obel, Wec Mabor etc but i wonder if Shiluk are there. I hope you are not telling the truth even Malakal no people forget about obel