Insecurity in Upper Nile State

By Daniel A Odwel

Most of states in South Sudan are living in luxury life because of relative peace in Sudan, but Upper Nile state is living in state of fear with uncertainty future. The questions we need to struggle with are: Who are behind this insecurity? What are benefits of this chaos? What are the major steps taken by the Upper Nile government to ensure the security?

This insecurity may be resulted from party's rivalry or may be resulted from chronic poverty that forced some members of communities into criminal practice.

Today Malakal has become battle field for the forces of darkness. Especially southern Collo communities in particular did not taste this relative peace which other communities are enjoying, for they are not allowed to construct their devastated and destroyed land by army in their places. The signal image portray by army behavior indicated that they were only people who liberated these places with their blood as if Collo sons did not participated in liberation struggle. Therefore, there no way for them to move away from these places, critically this ideology implies that there was different agenda which other communities had during the war era. In other words there were no Collo who shed their blood in liberation war which is very obvious lies. Others still argued that peace did not come for ''piny Collo'' because they still it regarded as war zone areas. The question that posed itself, is why only Collo land is war zone area?

Other voices said these places belong to Dinka, especially eastern side of White Nile, they assumed it is their land because Collo called it ''poth Jango''or land of rest,. For historical benefit there was no Dinka living in those places, and there was no war between Dinka and Collo in regard to that land which might indicate that Collo had conquered from Dinka. The question which needs to be answered by the children of our daughters, who are Dinka, is where had they been living before liberation war? For their attitude irritate uncles to begin thinking that they had made mistake by accommodating their forefathers in our land as in-law who came from unknown places. Does it mean Dinka fought liberated war in order to confiscate Collo land? For it seems Dinka is targeting Collo to be eliminated them in South Sudan for they are the most influential community that can compete with them in leadership if democratic system is put in place. Dinka claims that Malakal belong to them without shame, even though the name itself originate from Collo language.

Again, other group who had the same intention is Nuer who began to name Collo land with their own names and they are denying people of land to resume their normal lives in their home villages. In fact there was third force behind the problem that is the Government in Khartoum which supported tribal militias to cause unrest atmosphere in Collo land because Collo did not have militias to implement NIF destructive agenda in Southern Sudan. The NIF gave leadership in Upper Nile State to one ethnic group for almost twenty years. Does it mean they are the most authentic people for leadership? After Comprehensive Peace Agreement nothing had change, the leadership is still hold by the same ethnic group. Now, people begin to wonder what the logic here is, does it mean they are most qualified group to govern the state? Or does it mean they are the only group living in Malakal?

Because of what I mentioned people are too suspicious and skeptical about others community and this perception will lead to insecurity to mount and to continue unless something has to be done.

Sadly Collo political leaders seem occupied with the personal issues, whereby they are struggling for political survival and have less attention to the problems affecting the people they want to lead. Indeed, they need to take care that the division within themselves is a positive thing for the invaders who wish to occupy Collo land.

Ironically, what is happening in Malakal reminded Collo that devastation that took place during the war was intended, in order to let Collo evacuate their lands to allowed settlers to invade it; this is why they are refusing to leave now in piny Collo. Their attitude will inject into Collo communities hatred and revenge spirit that may let them to join any ''best devil'' that will keep the Upper Nile State in state of fear and all people will not taste peace in particular and whole of South in general, for if one person still has a gun no body will has quite moment in his lives. Let us be reminded that the best devil is looking for such opportunity to destroy all the communities in the South. We must delete in our vocabulary the assumption that small communities are toothless, because their cruel reaction may surprise all of us. Collo community will not tolerate so long if the condition continue without tangible solution, for they are seeing other communities experiencing peace in their home land while Collo community is still facing displacement. After three years of CPA most of southern Collo communities were prevented by invaders communities not construct their ruin land. How can we justify this wildly act practice by brethren, together we fought liberated war? This may imply that they have hidden agenda during the war, which can be confirm by well plan raids taking place in part of Collo land.

In Malakal town people live under fear and no body sure about their security, here I am not rising false-alarm but it a fact which should be brought to the light. As citizen of Malakal we need to question ourselves who is behind this problem? Where is the Government of State which supposed to protect it citizen? If it is not intentional why is taking place in Collo villages and Malakal town which is well populated by Collo communities? Who were denied to construct their home villages? Today even stupid or narrow minded person can begin to sense this danger tactics and people begin to raise this concern why SPLA gave Malakal to be governed by NCP? It seems that both parties want to marginalize Collo communities because they were being governed by minority people who are outsiders of Malakal.

Who is supporting the night robbers in Malakal? What are their objectives? This situation give people negative explanation that the previous system might be were behind what is taking place, because during their leadership there was no such thing happening. Therefore, when they were removed from leadership they want to give hard time to the present system. Nevertheless, another explanation stresses that the present government is behind the robbers because they are employ to intimidate the people who do not support their leadership, in order to force their opponents to quit the state for their safety somewhere. Many people see the last assumption as strong reason especially when they did not see the government taking effective decision to end the unrest and instability in Malakal.

To reduce this insecurity the following suggestions must be considered:

- Decentralization must be reconsidered for Upper Nile State to allow the communities living within Collo land go home to their lands.

-The government of Upper Nile State must ensure establishment of strong check points to prevent smuggling of the weapons into the town.

-The government of the Southern Sudan must ensure the border dispute between Jongeli State and Upper Nile State to minimize retaliation from the communities living in the boundary.

-Every criminal who is caught in criminal act must be punished in the eyes of the public as warning to teach others who practice this harmful act.

-The government of Malakal State must ensure employment and every idle people within state must be collect and send to government schemes, where they can become productive and self reliant.

- The equally development must be ensure to eleven counties of Upper Nile State that may reduce over population in Malakal.

-Both income and human poverty need to be addressed simultaneously in poverty alleviation program. Poverty is not only income deprivation but it manifests through high dependency rations, ill health, disability, illiteracy, and other difficulties such political and cultural rival, which forced some groups of population to live in poverty.

- The government must ensure batter governance in all sectors for it will encourage social mobilization and community participation.