REQUEST FOR THE UNMIS INTERVENTION INTO THE SHILLUK---DINKA CRISIS

June 21, 2010-I have been following the South Sudan politics since 1955.The Shilluk people since then and I am sure even before that were always in the forefront of the southern struggle. Whether in the students unions or the teachers or farmers or workers or women or youth or intellectuals or civil service, they were always at the service of the South Sudan.

More than that they have been militarily the iron curtain between the Arab North and the rest of the South Sudan . The others got the chance of laying ,incubating and hatching their chicks in peace and this accounts for their big numbers of today ,which they are now turning round to maim them so as to inherit,' let thy kingdom come.

Let me cut a long story short, because I am not known to be a tribalist. The story is like this: After the CPA, and despite the good neighborliness and inter-marriages between the Padang Dinka and the Shilluk from time immemorial, there came a claim from the Dinka side that the land east of the White Nile River from the Zeraf river mouth in the south up to Melut in the north, belongs to them and all the Shilluk people resident or displaced from there due to war, must go to the west bank of the White Nile. It looked a joke, but we were completely shocked and surprised when the Southern Sudan big man HE President Salva confirmed it. Example, the creation of two Dinka counties on Shilluk land. Piji County at the Sobat river mouth in Upper Nile, but a Jonglei State county. Akoko County for the Dingjol, but located inside Pachodo County in the Shilluk territory.

The Dinka-Shilluk tribal fight at Malakal stadium, Anakdiar and Abaniim on 9th January, 2009 and witnessed by their Excellencies, President Omer Beshir, F/V. President Salva Kiir and V/P Riak Machar, was the beginning of the insecurity created by the GOSS Administration. Dr Lam Akol, having been a member and SPLM Minister had tried together with Dr Peter Adwok Nyaba, Mr. Pagan Amum, General Oyay Deng Ajak to work on President Salva Kiir to stop the Dinka encroachment into the Shilluk territory, but to know avail. I visited President Kiir in 2006 and the Shilluk dignitaries I have just mentioned were overwhelm pleased ,hoping that I, being an elderly former veteran politician well known to Salva Kiir in Malakal before he fled to join the movement, perhaps he might listen to me.
Of a truth, he seemed to have listened to me .HE Luka Biong, as directed by HE the President, assured me that their government was committed to the 1956 boundary between the old Fangak and the old Kodhok districts to be the boundary between Jonglei and Upper Nile States . I returned to the USA in order to prepare myself to repatriate to Sudan and settle in my place of domicile at the Sobat river mouth [Piji], which has now become the Jonglei State County . The tribal fight which started at the Malakal stadium in January, 2009, spread like a jungle fire and reached Piji.

In another development, Dr Lam Akol Ajawin, broke away from the SPLM in June 2009 and formed a rival party. Although this new party has nothing to do with the Shilluk as it is a national one, the Shilluk being bitter against Salva Kiir for having given their land to the Dinka, flocked there. Those Shilluk who remained faithful to the SPLM became traitors in the eyes of the ordinary Shilluk people calling them Dinka stooges. Again the GOSS administration embarked on the disarmament all over the south. Unfortunately, there seems to have been no adequate enlightenment and wide publicity campaign and training of the law enforcement agencies who were to be involved in the disarmament activity. Worst of all, they used the SPLA instead of the police. Further the army units employed in the activity are predominantly Dinka whom the local Shilluk look upon as enemy who have taken their land and are now robbing the of weapons which they could have used for self protection for themselves and their property. Hence the assassination of the paramount chief of Panyikango. In short, the Dinka encroachment into the Shilluk land with the GOSS President fully behind them, has made the the Shilluk to be killing themselves.

I learned that Dr Riak Machar was appointed as chairman of a high level committee to investigate the reasons for the Dinka-Shilluk crisis, but he seems afraid to convene the meeting because of the GOSS President involvement in the matter. Under these circumstances, I would like the involvement of the UNMIS in the Dinka-Shilluk-GOSS crisis in the following manner:

1. The GOSS must come out to recognize that the boundary between the old Kodhok and the old Fangak districts is the boundary between Upper Nile and Jonglei States .

2. The Dinka citizens who are domiciled from the old Fangak district should return to Jonglei State . The same thing should apply to Dinka of old Sobat Rural Council should remain in Akoko and Bailiet counties.

3. The Shilluk people are part and parcel of the South Sudan and must recognize the GOSS as their government.

4. Disarmament is a southern national duty and must be recognized, widely publicized and carried out by the police of the counties.

5. The majority of the police involved in disarmament in a county, should be citizens from the concerned county.

6. It should be noted that the Shilluk, unlike other tribes which keep cattle, do not raid other people property. They don't usually possess fire-arms and if they have them at all, they use them for hunting, sports and tribal warrior show-off.

7. Dinka-Shilluk reconciliation should be done before the referendum and registration of voters should be carried out when everybody has gone back to his home of domicile.

The author is a South Sudanese currently living the United States ; he can be reached at email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.