Akobo Anyuak Community Raise Concerns For Increasing Insecurity
The Akobo Anyuak Community have presented their concerns to the government officials on the security situation in Akobo. 27 April 2013 By Jacob Achiek Jok BOR, 25 April 2013 [Gurtong] – The written document sent to the state governor with copy the President of the Republic of South Sudan, Head of United Nations Mission in South Sudan and her civil affairs unit and South Sudan Relief and rehabilitation commission for the sake of unstable situation of Anyuak community in Akobo. The document said since the Interim Period of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) through independence, the Akobo Anyuak has not been at rest like all South Sudanese nationals. “The few Anyuak who were present at Alali Payam and Akobo town itself lived and still live under intense intimidation by the Nuer, especially now that the Anyuak population has increased in Akobo town and villages across the river,” the letter addressed to governor laments. They said that similarly Anyuak representatives in Akobo including the Chief have reported many cases of intimidation and killings to the successive commissioners. “The Anyuak representatives in Bor have appeared in your office on these issues several times,” it says. They say that commissioners before Goi Jooyul used food as a tool against the Anyuak, any Anyuak returnee was denied to be given food during Goi’s term, and it was denial of planting space, saying the Anyuak land is beneath the surface. Above is the Nuer land. Hit and run was used to frame the Murle. Houses constructed by Anyuak were pulled down by the Nuer who was then identified, taken to prison and released without a day in court. This time around it is more of open attacks on the Anyuak. “The Nuer move around with guns and firing over Anyuak heads to frustrate them to leave Akobo. This is the mission of the politicians,” read the letter. Through the month of March 2013 into April, the current month, the followings happened; The Nuer looted by day the hooks, the nets and even fish being carried home by the Anyuak at gun point. A man was killed and a child of eight years disappeared and lost in the forest during an ambush by the Nuer against a group of 62 Anyuak women and children coming from the hinterland to Old Akobo to settle. This man [Oman Nyikewo] was related to the Jonglei State Peace Chairperson. Letter said that a young man who was washing his cloths at the river bank was chased by Nuer gunmen and crossed the river was rescued by some kind people. His cloths were looted. Letter reported that Anyuak young men who were fishing where chased away by group of Nuer gun men who spotted them and hunted down and shot one young man who is now in the hospital in Akobo town. They said that this time the Commissioner found it difficult to ignore it He went to old Akobo on the request of the Anyuak Chief to see the victim[s]. Most women and children had fled to Tergol, Ethiopia. The Commissioner had issued 32 rifles each to Burmath and Dengjok for Community police but did not give the Alali Payam. He admitted this in Bor when the MPs asked him. But at Old Akobo when confronted by the Community he denied that he gave bullets only but not guns. ‘Where are our bullets’? He was asked. He could not give any satisfactory answer. They said, “We, the Anyuak are frustrated. The Anyuak want to return in numbers as already seen. With these upward advances of insecurity, the future does not look good to us when we see that the Government has no sure protection for the Anyuak. The Nuer have been officially allowed to own guns since the last attack on Lou by ‘Yauyau’s men’. At Akobo, the Commissioner gave guns to his people of Burmath and Dengjok. The Government is not looking at the Anyuak with the same eye with others.” The Jonglei Communities Peace Conference of May 2012 identified this as a source of problem and recommended the re-instatement of the 1956 border in a resolution signed in the presence of the President of the Republic of South Sudan. The Government was not able to implement this resolution because of the oil shutdown. To avoid problems, “we want the border re-instated. Even with oil money the Anyuak have not benefited at all in any form including the CDFs. Therefore, let the Nuer go to Diror with budgets. The coming oil money has no use to us because we do not have access to it. We will survive on our land, the rivers and the forests.” The letter was presented by the chairperson of Akobo Anyuak to Jonglei state Governor and was signed by Anyuak intellectual in the national and state level. The letter was written on April 21. Posted in: Home, Governance -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
