Response to Hon. Samson Oyay Chairman of Collo Community Council from Joshua Dau of the Jieng Council of Elders (JCE)

THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH SUDAN

JUBA

January 14th, 2016

Hon. Samson Oyay Awin,

Chairman of Collo Community Council,

Khartoum

Dear Samson,

New Year (2016) Greetings!

It was surprising to receive an elaborate document from you full of hate language, incitement rhetoric and war threats. As a matter of fact, it amounts to a declaration of war by Collo on Padang (Jieng) just like what Gen. Olony is doing. I am surprised more because your document undermines the work of our joint committee to restrain our people – Collo and Padang from turning against each other at this time when both communities are facing extermination by Naath (Nuer), as it happened in Malakal before Gen. Olony joined the rebellion of Riek Machar Teny (Attached are the resolutions of our meeting in Yam Hotel on the 22nd April, 2014).

In our committee, we acknowledged the fact that land problems naturally exist among us as neighbors, whether tribes, communities, families or individuals. We did agree that time will come when the pending issues would be resolved amicably without unnecessarily resorting to the use of force. Our joint committee presented its report to Collo Reth Kwongo Dak Padiet, in his residence in Juba.

When misunderstanding persisted, our adhoc joint Committee  discussed the outstanding issues with Gen. Johnson Olony in the presence of    Rt. Hon. Bol Chan, and again the two communities’ delegations: Collo’s delegation led by Reth Kwongo Dak and Padang’s delegation led by Minister Stephen Dhieu Dau discussed reconciliatory mechanisms in the presence of the President of the Republic of South Sudan, Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit in his office in J1.

It is you as my co-chair of the intra-tribal committee (Padang and Collo) for Peace and reconciliation who have opted out of the agreement to resolve our internal disputes by ourselves. You have now raised the complaints to even foreign elements, institutions and bodies that do not know our background and the methods we use in solving our internal conflicts within our traditional and cultural context.

I have been reading a lot of hostile literature from many Collo people including Dr. Joshua Otor, Chairman of Collo intellectuals inside South Sudan and in Diaspora. I am therefore, obliged to inquire whether the use of abusive language and agitation will ever take us anywhere, in terms of arriving at a peaceful settlement of our disputes.

Multiple land disputes are usually discussed till solutions are found, mostly through third party’s  arbitration, no matter how complicated the issues are, or even if many people have lost their lives in the process on both sides, people still live as neighbors. This long time feud is rooted in history since the Collo people started to cross to Jieng side – east of the Nile and began to give names of their villages across west of the Nile where they left for newly founded homes east of the Nile. This claim is what is being contested/ disputed but will one day be settled.

Firstly I wish to advise you that since you are now Chairman of Collo Community in Khartoum, contact your counterpart of Padang Community Association Dr. Ramadan Chan Liol. He is currently the Chairman. Secondly it is evident that our ad hoc committee work is superseded by the community councils as well as the revolt of Gen. Johnson Olony to fight for the liberation of Collo land as much as you are. You may continue to find the solution the way you think best. I will no longer be in position to mediate as we used to do together in the joint ad hoc committee now that it is evident that your options are intimidation and violence.

Yours,

Joshua Dau Diu

Cc:

• Ramadan Chan Liol – Chairman, Padang Community Association, Juba

• IGAD Office, Juba

• TROIKA Office, Juba

• Reth Kwongo Dak

• Dr. Joshua Otor – Chairman, Collo Intellectuals Committee