South Sudan lawmaker asks Kiir to resolve prevailing sub-national conflicts

JUBA – A South Sudan member of the reconstituted parliament has asked President Salva Kiir Mayardit to intervene and resolve the escalating violent conflict at subnational levels saying it is in the core responsibility of the South Sudanese head of state to do so.

In an open letter extended to Sudans Post, lawmaker David De Dau said he intent to attract President Kiir’s attention towards the growing insecurity in the world’s youngest country because the people of South Sudan deserve to live in peace.

“Cognizant to the provisions of Article 11 of the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, 2011 (as amended), I, tend to draw your attention to these restless conflicts across the Nation, where our citizens are bleeding day and night,” he said in the open letter.

“In the democratic system of governance, the focal figure is the chief executive who is accountable to the people, preserve security and protect its territorial integrity,” he added, before pointing to “focus on conflict hotspots in the country; such as the conflicts between the people of Balanda and Zande, cattle rustling in Eastern Equatoria, Aguok verses Apuk, Dinka Twic verses Ngok Dinka, Colo verses Dinka Ngok over ownership of Malakal town, Murlei verses their neighboring communities for instance Anyuak, Dinka Bor and Nuer and the recent seemingly instigated and organized armed people of Eastern Equatoria state against the innocent children and women of Dinka Bor cattle keepers in the cattle camp. I stand to raise the voice of these innocent voiceless people to let the entire presidency and the world, be aware about the violation of their rights that includes right to life.”

The lawmaker said: “Contrary to the views of highly polarized South Sudanese whose mindset have been architected to believe in solely living in their ancestral land, it is not the wishes and interest of the people of Dinka Bor to live in the land which is not part and parcel of their ancestral land. As an epicenter for the liberation struggle, it is crucial to note that the people of Bor like the rest of South Sudanese were primarily scattered by the protracted civil war between the Islamic and Arabized regime of Khartoum and the Sudan’s Peoples’ Liberation Movement and Army (SPLM/A), 1983-2005.

“The people of Bor were displaced by three major and some unavoidable factors; namely the consistent conflict of cattle rustling, indiscriminatory killings of elderly persons, young men and women in addition to child abduction. Natural disasters such as flood and draught during dry seasons have contributed to the displacement of these people. There is also unknown disease killing animals and cattle in the area south of Jonglei state. This animal disease needs scientific research and approach to ascertain the issue at hand.

“The barbaric violence at the cattle camp at Aru Junction 27th February, 2022 on Nimule-Juba Road where innocent children and women were killed in cold blood is a catastrophe and unacceptable to the norms of any good leadership that value and cherishes human lives. The worry to any caring and true leadership is that, this may escalate to another nastiest magnitude in the country.

“As a man in the biggest and first house in the Republic of South Sudan, everybody now expects you to do something about everything that happen. You are expected by the citizens of your country to intervene and put the situation under control.

“These are crises that need careful and enthusiastic management from your government including all the five vice presidents. The public expects your Excellency to play the role of “Consoler in Chief” and “take personal charge; visibly directing the national security forces to response and provide empathetic, emotional leadership channeling the grief of the affected community feelings by providing consolation”.

“I am aware that crisis management is a political process that is influenced by various factors beyond objective levels of need. Inadequate preparation or poor response may transform inclement weather into a disaster when it impacts a vulnerable population. Factors such as ethnicity, age, or political interest may affect one’s vulnerability and are intertwined with the political process.

“In conclusion, the citizens expect the presidency to make a resolution and develop a pragmatic mechanism on how to put to rest all these conflicts facing the nation.”