Unity State and Ruweng; First Fight Hatred, Tribalism, and Division, Not Internal Boundaries

By: Yuanna R.J. Chany

Introduction

In South Sudan, if we can negotiate our foreign borders peacefully, why can we not do the same among ourselves? Right now, the escalating land dispute between our two communities is not just a noise on social media, but it’s a poison to the lives of real people on the ground, people who are influenced by what we post and say. Ruweng was once part of the Unity State, known as Parieng County and Abimnoum County, under the same government, but due to reasons known to the government or the people, they were given an Administrative Area in 2020. A good thing, but cautiously dangerous because it was done at the wrong time. The two communities now, separated, isolating themselves from each other while seeing each other as enemies, which is shocking and heartbreaking. This article is a plea: before we fight over the land boundaries that are our own, Ruweng and Unity State should first fight the monster of hatred, division, and tribalism.

The Greatest Needs: Love, Unity, And Reconciliation

In the days when Ruweng was known as Abimnoum and Parieng, peace and love shone brightly. It wasn’t until separation, that hatred came in, which most don’t know where it came from. Others see it as tribal separation, while others see it as a way of broadening the way of reaching people with services. However, most of the people are ati-”broading the way of reaching people with services,” because it happened at the wrong time, when people have different lenses. I remember some years back, people were never calling themselves “Dinka” or “Nuer,” but only brothers and sisters. Citizens of the same State. At that time, Unity State cannot be a Unity State without Abimnoum and Parieng. There was no distinction. But when we look at today’s mirror, everything has changed. The words “brother” and “sister” have been replaced with “Dinka” or “Nuer.”

People have divided themselves because love has been replaced with hatred, unity with division, and South Sudanese with tribalism. Though most of these communities are religious, this lens of hatred has not only affected people without religion, but what is called religion is never practical in the lives of those who profess it. They never translate it into actions; love, peace, unity and reconciliation. What hurts me more is the voices on the ground and on social media that are calling for an immediate confrontation, but not peace, not love, not reconciliation. They are calling for war, not negotiation. To speak the plain truth: South Sudan lacks voices that truly advocate for peace, but instead, many incite conflict. We have forgotten that lasting resolution never comes through creating bloodshed among innocent communities.

To be honest for all of us, the solution for these two communities is not war, but first, through reconciliation, loving one another, and reuniting again as one people, with the same destiny. The solution lies in calling both our communities back to their senses, back to loving one another as sisters and brothers. The answer is not Ruweng joining Abyie to form one strong state and then, “dealing with criminals from the South East,” as one social media user suggested. It is not found in names like Panakuach, Payangay, or any other name you might invent. Dear friends, inciting suffering from behind a keyboard, while we ourselves are far from the ground, is not just dangerous today but deadly for the generations to come.

It can rob our children before they ever draw their first breath. My fellow countrymen and women, if we truly want something good for our communities, why do we not first seek the real enemy? Why do we create more hardship for ourselves? Why are we not fighting our foreign neighbours over land issues, if I may ask? It’s because we don’t want bloodshed, but peaceful negotiation. Why do we negotiate peacefully with Sudan over Abyie, yet we reach for guns against our own kin inside our country? The answer again is, we need peaceful negotiation, not that we fear our foreign neighbours, but peace is all that we need for them and for us as well.

As for Ruweng and Unity State, normally, we forget that before we draw any new lines on a map, we must first draw new lines in our hearts as well to keep hatred, tribalism, greed, and division outside. To only see territorial lines feels tragically misplaced when the ultimate cost could be the lives of our own dear brothers and sisters, young and old. My dear beloved communities, land is important, that’s indisputable, but the lives of our brothers and sisters are far more precious than what is called land.

May we remember that conflict, fuelled by hatred and division, is not a solution, but a profound failure of our core values and kinship. Picking up guns against each other is not power or strength; it is the greatest failure of our shared identity. Oh! How I hate seeing communities being led like sheep to slaughter by the same people they trust to be their leaders and voices that pretend to love them while pushing them toward worthless war. That’s sad. Brothers and sisters in Ruweng, and in Unity State, we are South Sudanese, that is our true identity, and therefore, tribal labels should never come before that. We are one people. That’s what we should all scream for.

Before we argue about where a boundary should be drawn on the ground, why not first remove the boundaries of hatred that some have built inside our hearts? First, let’s fight tribalism, fight hatred, fight division, and fight greed before we allow land to reopen wounds we have struggled to heal. We need to erase the borders of hatred, tribalism, and division inside our hearts, friends. The true enemy of these two communities is not a neighbour living on a different administrative boundary; it is the plague of hatred and mistrust that seeks to tear our beloved South Sudan apart.

Sometimes when I look at the so-called intellectuals in our communities, I am saddened. Many of them are the loudest voices in spreading division, hatred, and tribalism, not peace, not unity, or reconciliation. Instead of resisting those who incite violence from a safe distance, they merely encourage them and fan the flames. Today, if there is a rise of fake patriotism, it is the rise of people who have no intention of shedding their own blood, yet seek to shed the blood of innocent communities to seek opportunities for personal or political gain. They love conflict because it gives them a chance to falsely claim they are defending the very people whose blood they spill into the thirsty ground.

Why don’t we learn from the outside? South Sudan has several complex land issues with neighbouring countries, yet we have never forsaken the deliberate, peaceful, and diplomatic approach. That should be our model for our internal disputes. My fellow countrymen and women, if we can show patience and diplomacy toward outside “adversaries,” why do we choose violence with our own kin? Why take arms to fight a brother in Unity State? Why lift a gun to kill a brother in Ruweng? Stop armed confrontation! Choose love, unity, and fight tribalism instead. Let us wait for peace to touch our dear hearts first; yours, mind, and the hearts of our children. Remember, a conflict today will not spare anyone. It will not just kill the current generation, but it will plant seeds of hatred and vengeance for years to come. In Ruweng and Unity State, we owe our children a legacy of peace, not a cycle of conflict fuelled by unresolved historical grievances.

Conclusion

If there is a way forward for us, it is unity before territory. It is love before territory. It is South Sudanese identity before territory, not tribe. We need to reunite and reconcile by focusing on community dialogues and returning to the ways we have always resolved conflicts with one another. We need peace in Ruweng. For education, children need a peaceful environment in Ruweng. We need peace in Unity State. For education, children need a peaceful environment in Unity State. In both communities, our future is shared, and bloody conflict, like what is being incited on social media, could only guarantee shared failure and prolonged suffering. We, the People of Unity State and Ruweng need each other. It’s in our togetherness that we can stand strong together. May we first defeat the true enemies: hatred, tribalism, and division, and then, in an environment of love, peace, and tranquillity, we will find a way to deal with our issues peacefully and justly. Let guns, social media warriors remain silent, and let the voice of reconciliation ring louder in our communities, and in South Sudan at large.