A Jonglei governor stated that:
“after cattle raids in August 2011 left 600 people dead, the
Nuer had agreed to halt retaliation if abducted women and children were
returned. ‘This attack was supposed to take place in September but the
government intervened.’
But after a three-month deadline passed and church-led peace
talks collapsed in December, the rampaging youths unleashed their wrath.
Now authorities are struggling to stop a bitter enmity
spiralling out of control.” (BBC News)
In the latter half of December, reportedly 6000 Lou Nuer
advanced on Pibor in the Murle region of Jonglei
State and burnt villages,
killed villagers, abducted women and children, raided a charity-run health-care
clinic and stole cattle in retaliation to the attacks carried out by the Murle in
August.
 |
| Aerial
photo of Fertait village which was burnt by the Lou Nuer during December (taken from BBC) |
Accurate figures of deaths, displacements and
abductions have not been confirmed, but government representatives in Pibor
claim that 3000 were killed, others suggest 2000-plus.
 |
| Map of Jonglei State showing the path of the Lou Nuer during their attack on the Murle over the New Year period. |
Since January, there
have been around 5 attacks surrounding the town of Akobo,
in the Lou Nuer region, allegedly carried out by Murle, killing about 10 people
and raiding cattle. Another attack was reported in Uror County,
15km from Yuai, also carried out by the Murle.
Two days ago members of the Murle ethnic group killed up to 50 people in Duk County
where another ethnic group, Dinka Bor, reside. The South Sudanese government
have declared Jonglei a “disaster area”
It is widely
understood that due to the civil war, which ended in 2005, there are many small
arms amongst civilians and communities within South Sudan,
although disarmaments in Jonglei seem to be carried out every few years or so –
not always very peacefully.
Despite my limited
knowledge of the region, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to suggest that the
violence seen in Jonglei in 2011 has been particularly nasty, allegedly
escalated by the greater presence of small and large arms spotted amongst the youth in the county, their direct source is somewhat unknown.
Local governments
say that the State needs more roads so it can develop, as has become apparent
when reading about aid agencies' struggles to reach affected communities by
land. Other locals say that Jonglei needs more jobs and activities for young
people, especially males, who are the ones that normally carry out the attacks.
Some South Sudanese staff here say that the government need to ban, or cap, the
‘bride price’, or dowry, in which hundreds of cows can be demanded in return
for the marriage of a particularly beautiful South Sudanese daughter. Incidentally,
some areas consider beauty in a woman to be found in a tall frame, long neck
and gaps in the teeth – the taller you are the more cows your parents get! It
is suggested that men are spurred on by the women to carry out cattle raids and
acquire cows so that they can be married to a man of choice rather than the old
bloke down the way, who already has a few wives, but can pay more cows.
Or, perhaps ending
the cycle of revenge and retaliation isn’t that easy? Perhaps there are people
within the region encouraging the violence? Perhaps communities cannot forgive
the deaths or abduction of their wives and children, or their cows which they
hold in such high esteem?
I have no idea what
the answer to the violence is. But, I suspect that if the young men who put
effort into raiding their neighbour’s cattle and burning their neighbour’s
villages took their finger off the ‘self-destruct’ button and instead put as
much effort into rebuilding their communities and working together, then
Jonglei might look very different. Now, how can that be achieved?!
