Jonglei - out of control?

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?!