By Garang Paul Malong Awan,
Feb 23, 2021(Nyamilepedia) — The Jieng Council of Elders (JCE), is a tribal group (Comprises of Dinka Elders) formed in the year 2013 when war broke out in South Sudan between the two leaders, Salva Kiir and Dr. Riek Machar. These elders has been running the country alongside President Salva Kiir, for he gave them the authority or whatever they may describe it as his advisors. But, their involvement in the Country’s Political and ethnic affairs, brought too much suffering and starvation not only to the Dinka’s women, children, youth and vulnerable people, but only to the other 63 tribes in the country. On the other hand, they’re using this tribal authority to intimidates, executes others; while promoting corruption in the country. Now, this group went as far as forcing people who opposes them into exile.
However, due to the atrocities and crimes committed by the Jieng Council of Elders, I’m calling for their immediate apprehension, for messing up the country, as well as messing up, the name of the Dinka in general. Vividly, the JCE purportedly states that, they’re representating the interest of the Dinka, when on the contrary, they do not speak on behalf of the marginalized Dinka, when they speak to feed their egos and the like of Akol Koor who have been paying them for the country’s resources for years, so that they help him (Akol) in the country’s destruction.
Then, how are these elders caring about Dinka interest, when many Jieng women and children are in refugee camps, yet they do not speak about their wellbeing, rather they speak about more states and taking care of the power that the Jieng do not get to enjoy. To you JCE, we have our traditional elders and let’s now have a divided Jieng so you can make Akol your choice and not the people of Mading Awiel and Bor that he has been killing at will. For when Jieng are in exiles and many other South Sudanese in refugee camps because of Akol, do you think there is any option left with him? Please, the few elders who get pays by Akol and pretend to speak on our behalf, please leave Jieng Community alone and talk on behalf of your family members who are eating and leave those suffering Jieng to have their voice…
I wonder and fail to comprehend, which Dinka do these Jieng Council of Elders talk on their behalf, when Jieng are the one begging in the streets of every town in South Sudan. When they are in the country’s army force without getting pay, in spite of the services and protection they are giving to the government. They are also in the Refugee Camps, in exile and at the same time being killed by Akol Koor kuc, the director general of National Security. As the son of this community, I condemn this act of JCE and their statements that they’re the representatives of the Dinka. I must reiterates that, they do not speak on behalf of all the Jieng that have been marginalized and always in target. And that they should be held accountable for plunging the country into endless crisis.
I believe that these elders should be arrested and sentenced for the messes they are causing in the country. How many government do we have that JCE has to speak on behalf of us? What is the work of our MPs and other Representatives, if JCE are the ones to represent us? However, I failed to understand the Jieng Community whom, the Jieng Council of Elders (JCE) speaks on their behalf. And if they speak on our behalf which they coined themselves without democratic mandatory, I will like to highlight that, their vocal point has always been about leadership and resources. Because when the young men were killed and burnt alive by Akol Koor kuc, they never speak out to defend these young Jieng of Awiel or Bor.
Although, the Jieng are the largest ethnic group in the country, we are the beggars in the streets of Juba. Our communities are fighting one another on cattle raiding issues. Many of our mothers are in refugee camps, young girls are being sexually abused in Juba. Children have no schools, and these Jieng whom we never voted for, to represent us in any way are always concerned about leadership that today provide us nothing other than suffering and destitution. Today they are concerning about Akol Koor to succeed President Kiir just because they are being pays to speak out and not about the suffering mothers in refugee camps and in the streets of Juba.
Moreover, these elders should be arrested and question in the court of law for all these messes, atrocities and confusion that they bring to not only the Dinka as a whole but also to other 63 tribes in South Sudan. For, we all have our elected representatives who should speak on our behalf. We also have a community that should always speak on our behalf. But this coined JCE does not address any of our issues; their greatest aim and concern is always about self-enrichment, just as they want to create 20 States for their political relevancy and interests. Therefore, the JCE should be a Community Leadership with elections, with elected leaders and not a Political party that runs a parallel government within the same National Government.
Every now and then, they speak on national issues which actually concern other ethnic groups, hence making them speak on behalf of all the tribes in the country, which is not suppose to be their responsibility. On the other hand, the Dinka themselves are suffering and they have not been able to address their issues as they pretentiously said that “They’re fighting to protect Dinka’s dignity” when they’re actually destroying it.
Again, the Dinka are fighting themselves in their respective States and one will never hear JCE addressing such issues. Young Dinka men are being killed and JCE never bothered to talk about it. When Dinka are in exile, they do not speak out. But when the leadership of South Sudan which is suppose to be a “Democratic Process” is discussed, JCE will find themselves speaking out as if they are mandated by the Country’s Constitution to make decisions on behalf of the President and who should succeed him.
For many years now, I have been living in exile just because my father felt out with President Kiir and so the security apparatus led by Dinka, made sure that my family even the children are either killed or chase out of the country. For painful instance, my younger brother, the one that follows me by birth, Wani Malong was killed by the security forces just because he was a son to Malong Awan. However, JCE didn’t speak about his death, when it should’ve been the cases they should’ve look into and address as elders.
When a young man was exposed in social media due to love affairs, and social life affairs, he was hunted and threaten to be killed just like those three young men that were burnt alive in Jebel Dinka, And the Jieng Council Elders never speak about these affairs. Today another young man, Kiir Wieu has to be in exile just because he fall in love with a public figure, and this to the eyes of the security offices in South Sudan, it is a crime to fall in love with public figure. Where is justice that the Jieng Council of Elders are talking about? When they are not addressing the things which they supposed to address since they grabbed the leadership from President Salva Kiir.
According to me, I find JCE as a political party of the retired Jieng politicians who cannot be appointed in any position and can’t serve either the Jieng or South Sudan in any capacity, hence, this should not be a retirement home for these elders to mess us up as Dinka and mess the country up at large. I and we the youth of Dinka condemned this leadership of JCE with the strongest terms possible and we dismiss it. I calls for the immediate arrest of these JCE elders. And we repudiate that they do not speak on behalf of the suffering Dinka. They do not speak on behalf of those in refugees camps. And they do not speak on behalf of those in the villages. Also, they do not speak on behalf of those beggars in the streets of Juba, Wau, Warrap, Aweil and Rumbek. On the other hand, they do not speaks on behalf of those orphans whom their parents were killed in senseless war and in all the civil war.
They only speak on behalf of their families and those with political ambitions who do not represent us and our interest as Dinka. The current regime is led by Dinka and Dinka are suffering. What other leadership do Dinka want that will serve their interest better than such a opportunity? With these, I demand for the arrest of JCE; and be held accountable for the mess, each Dinka or South Sudanese is accounts to his or her Member of Parliament to serve and bring services close.
What position do the JCE hold for them to recommend and suggest Akol Koor kuc on our behalf as Dinka to replace Salva Kiir? Akol is still accountable for the people that were killed by the National Security, and those burnt alive. If he become the President, how many will be burnt alive and how many more Dinka will he kill? We reject this enforced JCE that we never voted for. How many Jieng are leaving South Sudan and dying in wilderness, while running away from the brutality of Juba government? The Jieng Council of Elders are not MPs and, thus they do not represent the interest of Jieng in totality. Whatever views that JCE say is not for the Dinka, it’s for their families and relatives and the political gods or deities they serves.
May God Bless South Sudan and its people.
The writer is a son of South Sudan’s former Chief of General Staff, he is also a former Minister and he has authored a good number of books.
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