Petition : SPLA Commit Gross Human Rights Violation in Ruweng County with permission of Ruweng County Commissioner, Col. Mabek Lang

The recent incident in which the SPLA forces unleashed a deadly and lethal force against innocent civilians, using RPGs, and PKMs apart from AK 47 rifles, is one of the latest in a series of acts of terror against the very people that they are supposed to protect and liberate.

The gross human rights violations that took place in several places across the county, particularly at Alilang Boma in Aliiny Payam, Ruweng County, constitutes a marked departure from a professional conduct and behavior unbecoming a conventional army and will remain a significant stain in the image of the SPLA. It is not just the instant lynching, maiming or acts of rapes that have shaken the community to its core. Rather, it is the fact that all these violations, involving rapes, summary shootings and torture against the civil populations happened with the permission of the Ruweng County Commissioner, Col. Mabek Lang and, more astonishingly, executed by our own Peoples\' Army, the SPLA.

In this unfortunate situation, five of the 8 Payams of the county were targeted and innocent civilians were beaten while scores of women between the ages of 12 and 40 were heinously raped or beaten badly when they attempted to resist acts of rape by their own Peoples\' SPLA.

The precipitating event that led to this unfortunate incident happened this year, 2010, when a group of youths allegedly went and took cattle from their perennial enemies, the Murahaleen and Fulani, or nomadic herdsmen locally known as Palata, Amboro clan, somewhere around Heglig (Aliiny), northwest of the County. The youths are said to have disappeared with these heads of cattle when they heard that they were being hunted by the county and state authorities and had, since then, never been seen till recently when they briefly visited the county from their hideout. Nobody knows where they exactly are and how many cattle, if any, they had taken from Palata. The Palata, who recently came to Bentiu where they are said to demanding the release of their allegedly stolen cattle, claimed that the number of heads of cattle taken was 1,300. It is far from clear if this number actually adds up since there is no substantive evidence to this claim due to the fact that these youths have never come home with these cattle, and thus no one had the chance to count them, assuming that some cattle were taken.

The local authority learnt the allegation of the incident of cattle rustling early this year but did not immediately act by demanding the return of those cattle, from the accused individuals and giving them back to the claimants (Amboros), who themselves, ironically, from time to time, have looted, for decades, millions of cattle from Parieng but never returned those cattle nor have the people they have often butchered been compensated.

As stated above, the Palatha/Misseriya, whose cattle were allegedly stolen, went to Bentiu demanding compensation or return of their cattle. As a consequence, the state government recently instructed the county authorities to act by commanding an SPLA unit to do one or combinations of the following things:

A) Demanding that those allegedly identified as thieves be punished through their close or extended relatives by forcing those relatives to contribute a specific number of cattle to be given back to Palata. This was to be done by confiscating cattle from the relatives or families by the sheer use of brutal force;

B) Ordering that if those relatives of the alleged raiders refused to comply with the orders, then sufficient force had to be used against them, which they sadly did, and when the civilians resisted that their cattle not taken, they were inhumanely tortured, women raped, and cattle were taken under the order and command of the commissioner. He, the commissioner himself appeared in military uniform and was the one directly ordering the attacks by the army with the help of some junior military officers. Those civilians who ran away were chased, and their homes were ransacked or looted. It is unbelievable! The SPLA went and executed unjust orders to collect the claimed number of cattle; and further decided to use excessive military force against the civil populations to get the job done; behaving exactly just like Nazi soldiers. Our bush mentality doesn't seem to have been exorcised yet notwithstanding the conventional training received in the last five years.

C) Terrorizing the civilians to scare them and make them submissive. This explains why women were raped, beaten, and tortured allegedly for the purpose of forcing them to reveal the whereabouts of the accused youths or otherwise allow their cattle to be taken.

D) Random shooting at men: Men who ran away were shot, even with heavy artilleries and some were wounded when they were simply running away to save their own lives from those they thought were their defenders.

As already mentioned, the operations were carried out under the command of the Commissioner who appeared in military uniform. The Commissioner himself is reported to have his own Fulani as his personal herdsman, a servant. Hence he has conflict of interest in this matter. Early this year, the Commissioner himself gave arms to the Palatha who came to the toich areas in order to defend themselves from the Dinka civilians in the area. Our own Commissioner was the very one aligning with the enemy by arming them yet they were asked, as a precondition for using the toich, not to with any arms.

In another separate incident in which the SPLA attacked innocent people, two civilians were killed. The culprits were never brought to justice. What must be noted is that, the more than 1, 300 cattle collected from civilians by force will have to be kept at the Commissioner's own dairy camp. Asked why he is doing this to his own people, the Commissioner, Col. Mabek Lang, responded that he was given a green light or received orders from President Kiir to carried out the mission. We categorically refuse to accept this connection to Mr. President Kiir. The Commissioner and his accomplices must be held accountable for this disproportionate miscarriage of justice against our beloved people.

Historical perspectives about these Islamized and Arabised Fulani/Palata

Fulani/Palata people are part and parcel of Arab Misseriya and Baggara groups (from the base in Darfur) who have been terrorizing Southern Sudanese communities living close to the North-South border, since 1950s. They are notorious for committing horrendous atrocities against Southern Sudanese for decades but, like their Janjaweed counterparts in Darfur, they have never been held accountable. These groups have stolen millions of cattle from Parieng, starting from 1982 to 2002.They have been burning villages to the grounds, looting civilian property, contaminating drinking water at water points especially at the South-North border region, killing civilians and abducting children and taking many into slavery. They mostly did this during the dry season (although they did so sometimes in the rainy season) when they came to the South in search for clean water and green pasture. They have often acted as paramilitary force or proxies for the northern based governments and are thus considered part of the bigger picture, by acting for their Big Brothers. Hence no one from the South would mistake them for good neighbours. Their hostility to, and unimaginable destruction in, the South is well known to the people in the northern parts of South Sudan, particularly in Abyei, Biemnom, Parieng, and North Bhar El Ghazal. In Parieng\'s case, the last battle with the Murahaleen was in 2002.

Given these accounts, the Palata are an enemy to the people of South Sudan and have not, so far, been, nor are they expected to be friends even in the post-CPA era.

Yet, assuming that the youth's venture was criminal; would it not be preposterously absurd that innocent civilians be tortured for the alleged crimes committed by others, that is, made to bear the burden of criminal acts in which they themselves had not gotten involved? In fact from the perspective of criminal justice; the law does not demand that someone else should be held accountable for the crime committed by another. Hence, there is nothing justifiable in the botched justice by the SPLA, the state government and the county authorities, in their crude attempt to punish the relatives of the alleged criminals or Dinka cattle raiders who are nowhere to be seen with the cattle in the said territory. There is no reason why the most revered People\'s Army should be misdirected to turn against their own civil populations they are supposed to be protecting. This is a pure act of terror, masterminded by a few internal elements that should be brought to book without delay.

Against this backdrop, one is tempted to argue that the SPLA seems to have lost sight of its duty to defend and protect the south from its perennial enemy. No further proof is necessary to substantiate this statement. They have lost sight of the true enemy by turning against a community that has been one of the most loyal and important suppliers of the SPLA combatants during the liberation struggle by engaging in such despicable acts of terror against a peace loving community. It is equally shocking because this is the time that Southern Sudanese need to unite and prepare for the referendum exercise in the remaining months ahead till January 9, 2011, instead of terrorizing their own people. We call upon the SPLA, SPLM and GOSS leaderships to bring to justice those who committed these untold acts of terror without further ado.

In conclusion, the SPLA leadership, under 1st LT. Gen Kiir, ought to stop these atrocities in Ruweng County right away and give back the herds of cattle to their rightful civilian owners from whom they cattle were taken forcefully by the SPLA under Col. Mabek Lang. SPLA should not display an image that runs counter to the objective of the liberation struggle. Otherwise one could possibly conclude that we have been fighting the north in vain, especially if the very People's Army that once claimed to be the champion of the Peoples' human rights and the Peoples' liberator should turn and commit the very same horrific acts of which they were accusing the north. No one wants to see the transplantation of Somalia in South Sudan, yet if this is how the SPLM/A is going to lead the South; it highly likely that every community will be forced to take up arms to defend its own territory from internal acts of terror, internal colonialism, marginalisation and exploitation. This will not only pose a serious threat to internal cohesion among South Sudanese but it also true that in the short run, it could potentially jeopardize the referendum, and independence of the South by default, thereby dashing the hopes and shattering the dreams of every Southerner.

Mr. President, before signing off, we would like to leave you with the following question to reflect upon:

1) What have the people of Panaruu done wrong to deserve such malicious treatment and unjust suffering under your leadership?

2) Why making our people lament rather than rejoice in the CPA like every other community in South Sudan?

3) And if our people do not feel safe and protected by the SPLA, where or who else can they turn to for protection and security given that it is the very FREEDOM for which our sons and daughters gallantly and heroically met their demise and paid their ultimate sacrifices, in blood and limb, fighting our common enemy in Khartoum, that they are now being killed for by the SPLA?

4) While the SAF or Khartoum government protects its' civilians; Palata, Baggara or Murahaleen, why should the SPLA or GoSS kill its' civilians?

We, the undersigned Ruweng County concerned citizens strongly condemn, unequivocally and in the starkest of terms, the aforementioned inhumane atrocities committed by the SPLA. We also, once again, call upon the GOSS in general and President Kiir in particular to remove Col. Mabek from the position of the County commissioner with immediate effect.

Signatories:

1. Ayuel Dau Deng

2. James Monyluak Majok

3. Lwal Baguoot Kiir

4. Peter Arop Bany

5. Mario Mayom Malek

6. Mawut Tiop Ngor

7. James Amal Nyok

8. Peter Marial Thon

9. Simon Tor Deng

10. Ngor Deng Ngor

11. James Acuil Kuol

12. Tito Monyluak Bith

13. Gabriel Monyluak Miakol

14. James Ahoor Miabil

15. Santino Nyok Miabil

16. David Dudi Yong

17. Miarial Miabek

18. John Kuol Miakuach

19. David Dau Monykuch Kon

20. Miarial Arop

21. Adol Ngor Kur

22. Simon Chol Mialith Kiir

23. Chol Deng

24. Wuor Kiir

25. Miabek Thon

26. Yiik Monychol

27. Miaker Pieng Jau

28. Miagak Dau Kuol

29. Simon Monyluak Arop

30. Bol Miabek Ngor

31. Palath Diar

32. Wien Miarial

33. Monykong Dau

34. Mayiik Miarial Deng

35. Benjamin Mijok Dudi

36. Monyjiek Mijak

37. Chok Choch Kur

38. Chol Achut Kur

39. Miabek Minyiel G.

40. Abui piot

41. Luba Diar Deng

42. Kong Miaker Arop

43. Bol Ayual Kur

44. Piok Miarial Chol

45. Mijak Biem Tut

46. Wuor Deng Lueth

47. Arop Deng Malual

48. Mijak Dongwei Koch

49. Malual Deng

50. Chol Thonwel Angok

51. Charles Chol Tiop

52. Philip Tulwut Michar

53. Dau Dengyom

54. Monykuer Juach

55. Abot Tor Abot

56. Kiir Miyom Kiir

57. Bith Dau Nyok

58. Aniek Miaker Kueth

59. Monyluak Yool

60. Chol Mijak Kon

61. Chol Miabek

62. Wuor Miaper

63. Chol Mayol Gour

64. Miyar Deng Michar

65. Miyar Haar Deng

66. Monykuer Choch

67. Miabil Chopbany

68. Andrew Miyen Miaker

69. Moses Miyen Mialou

70. Monyguek Tiep Buk

71. Atok Dan Baguoot.

72. Mijok Dongwei Akiir

73. Abraham Guor Kiir

74. Kur Chopbany Kur

75. Miabil Minyiel Aguer

76. Chol Juach Miakuei

77. Abraham Chier Arop

78. Monytou Arop

79. James Koch Yool

80. Abui Chol Thon

81. James Lubo Mijak

82. Lem Miyar Monkuor