South Sudan president had heated exchange with information minister
over communal fight
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Kiir addresses a news conference inside his office in the capital Juba
September 12, 2013 (Reuters photo)
May 7, 2017 (JUBA) - South Sudan President Salva Kiir got into a
heated exchange with Information Minister Michael Makuei Lueth over a
communal fight, in which military commanders from a section of ethnic
Dinka Bor, used state assets to attack neighbouring Murle community,
sparking national outcry and condemnations.
The circumstances under which the president and his minister fell out
remain speculative.
There have not been formal statements clarifying what transpired.
Multiple cabinet ministers privy to how it occurred told Sudan Tribune
during a series of interviews that President Kiir had received
security reports indicating that military commanders with the Sudan
People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) from Bor community have sided with
their community members in the attack against ethnic Murle.
The objective of the attack was to recover allegedly stolen cows and
abducted children by members of ethnic Murle.
Long-standing tribal conflicts in Jonglei between the two tribal
groups over cattle raids have escalated into more organised attacks on
villages of both sides.
The continuation of the armed clashes between the two groups proves
the failure of the different campaigns to collect weapons, analysts
agree in Juba.
“The President was asking Michael Makuei Lueth in his capacity as the
leader of Bor community about security reports which he received that
the government soldiers using military assets and disguised as Dinka
Bor Youths launched the attack on Murle area. These reports show that
individual commanding officers from Bor in the SPLA’s 8th division
have ordered troops to take a side in the communal conflict. The
commanders have instructed soldiers to go and support the Dinka Bor
Youths. This was what the president has heard and wanted
clarifications from Makuei but he reacted negatively, a cabinet
minister told Sudan Tribune on Sunday.
"It was in a completely disrespectful manner, disdainful way," he added.
Minister Makuei, according to another cabinet source, supported the
decision of his Bor youth and government soldiers, suggesting they
should, in fact, be provided with more weapons to disarm Murle.
“The youth of Bor, like any other youth in the Republic of South
Sudan, have taken the law into their hands. They have refused to
listen to the leaders just like what is going on between Apuk and
Aguok. This is the situation, and to address it requires the
disarmament of the Murle tribe,” Makuei reportedly told President Kiir
in response to the question asking what was happening in the area.
The minister further told the president youths were not using the
government weapons but acquired their own weapons just like any youth
in the country and have refused to hand them to anybody.
This, the source added, angered the president and when Makuei realised
the president was annoyed, he decided to leave the cabinet meeting
hall. These exchanges forced minister Makuei to call for a community
meeting in Juba on Saturday, the result of which remains speculative.
No formal release was made after the meeting.
Some community members have reportedly asked the minister to go meet
the President in person and apologise to him. Others have rejected the
idea and asked Makuei to resign.
This is not the first time Minister Makuei and President Kiir have fallen out.
In 2015, Makuei walked out of an official function at which the
president was due to sign the peace agreement, saying the deal should
not be signed if the reservations held by the government on the
agreement were not addressed.
(ST)
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7 May 23:02, by Kuch
Mr. Salva Kiir knows pretty well the problem of Murle. The Bor
Dinka has for a very long time ignored these Murle wretches
lawlessness. Even when Kuol Manyang was the governor of Jonglei state,
the Bor youth Dinkas were heavily disarmed. But when it turns to
Murles youths, the UNIMISS and the NGOs were screaming at the top of
their dirty lungs that the Murles were being targeted simply
because>>>
repondre message
7 May 23:09, by Kuch
they were minorities, which is simply rubbish. Mr. President,
you remember, you created the Boma state without even consulting the
Bor Dinka community. But the Bor Dinka just took it at the chin and
work for the greater good of the country. The word "Pi-bor" means
water from Bor by the Anuaks and also Machabol. The Murles came from
Southern ethiopia in 1920th>>>
repondre message
7 May 23:15, by Kuch
But we welcome them as South Sudanese like everybody else,
but their lawlessness has been a big pain in the Bor Dinka asses for a
long time. The Murles are always implored to stop their stealing of
other people cattle and kidnapping babies, but they just don’t want
heed any call for peaceful co-existent. So what are the Bor Dinkas
supposed to do rollover and give their cattle like the Anyuaks>>>
repondre message
7 May 23:21, by Kuch
peaceful ways of dealing with these wretches? That is
not gona happen. Why is the Bor Dinka the only to blame and a accused
to have used the state arms? Where do the Murles get their weapons
from? I am here in Ayod, but no one has given arms to Bor youths any
weapons or any army joining the attack on the Murles. But to be
honest, the Murles are playing games. They must either accept
peaceful>>>
repondre message
7 May 23:28, by Kuch
co-existent and stop their barbaric way of lives
of stealing other people’s cattle and babies. Otherwise, they must
leave Pibor and move back to Southern ethiopia and then they can be
bring their raid from Southern ethiopia. What do the wretches still
want? They have been given their damn own state, a land that belongs
to Bor Dinka?
repondre message
7 May 23:40, by Kuch
For Mr. Makuei’s stance on the then so-called
CPA II, only a fool would blame Mr. Makuei, it was nothing to do with
South Sudan and the South Sudanese people’s peace. But a hand over of
South Sudan to the US, the UK, Norway, the UN, NGOs and the the
so-called IGAD-PLUS (Nigeria, South Africa, Chad, Rwanda and the real
IGAD countries). Mr. Makuei can well resign>>>
repondre message
7 May 23:46, by Kuch
This bullshit of always accusing to be the
ones that have hold the high standards while other communities are
killing our people in cold blood isn’t going to be entertained. Riek
Machar came and killed a lot of innocent people in Bor in 2013 after
his failed coup attempt for the second time, but the so-called NGOs,
the UN and the Nuers haven’t said sorry to Bor Dinka>>>
repondre message
7 May 23:52, by Kuch
some Equatorain goons have targeting
the innocent Dinkas in central Equatoria, but the NGOs only blame the
government. Hey Mr. Salva Kiir. Not all Dinkas are benefiting from the
government and the innocent Dinkas are being bullied by the enemies of
peace in South Sudan. Mr. President, the UN, the UNIMISS and the NGOs
are the ones destroying our country>>>
repondre message
7 May 23:57, by Kuch
The will be no peace in our
country Mr. president unless we get rid of the damn, UN, UNIMISS and
some of these creepy NGOs. The UN, UNIMISS and the NGOs are the rebels
backers these days. They don’t even conceal their actions anymore. Let
us bomb the damn UNIMISS and everything that is connected to corporate
America and British people out of our country and be done with it>>>
repondre message
8 May 00:02, by Kuch
The US, the UK, their UN,
their NGOs and some of their criminals in between want to take make
our country like Eastern Congo. They want to make our country as
unstable as possible and then they can loot our resources amidst the
chaos like Eastern Congo. Has anyone seen the so-called UN
peacekeeping troops ever left Eastern Congo since 1960th? No>>>
repondre message
8 May 00:07, by Kuch
Mr. President, the US, the
UK, the UN and their NGOs have taken our country and our people’s
hostage. The US, the UK, the UN and the NGOs are the ones who want to
be included in the governance of our country. They have been using
their Riek Machar, Pagan Amuom, Lam Akol, Majak Agoot, Rebecca
Nyandeng and Thomas Cirillo as their bargaining chips to be welcomed
into our country to come and loot it>>
repondre message
8 May 00:13, by Kuch
Mr. president, the UN,
UNIMISS and many the creepy NGOs are our enemies and we are not going
to have peace in our country as long as we keep the UN, UNIMISS and
some of their sleazy NGOs. Let us get rid of the UN and the UNIMISS,
they are not here for peacekeeping but occupation forces. The US, the
UK, France have been using the UN, humanitarian aid, peacekeeping and
human rights rubbish as their>
repondre message
8 May 00:19, by Kuch
neo-colonialism
tools. Some of us won’t allow the present of the damn UNIMISS and
everything that is connected to corporate America, the British and
some of their criminals in between here in our country, never ever.
The evils have killed our country through their Riek Machar proxy
purposelessly to be welcomed into our country to come and plunder it
like they are now doing in CAR, Libya or Iraq>>>
repondre message
8 May 00:26, by Kuch
The US was
given first priority to come and invest in our country right after our
independence but refused, instead, the US chose to Geo-politically
football play our country and our people against China. The US, the
UK, the UN and their NGOs want to play our country like their West and
East Germany and hope they can re-unite us with our arch enemy—the
cloned arab North Sudan>>>
repondre message
8 May 00:29, by Kuch
something
that is not going to happen even in million years. Anyway, l am out of
topic, but all these things are inter-related. Above all, we need to
get rid of the damn UNIMISS and some creepy NGOs otherwise, our
country will be at endless wars.
repondre message
8 May 00:46, by
Loch-ley Gajiok
Why defecating too
much on the website yaa Mr.Kuch? Go to the toilet and relieve yourself
if what is happening between bor and Bahr gazell dinkas is giving you
diarrhoea.
repondre message
8 May 00:05, by john akeen
Mr. Kuch
you’re right about that, that is exactly what Murle
people do, they kept on kidnapping Nuer’s & Dinka Bor babies &
stealing their Cattles for many years that’s why in 2012 Nuer peoples
they got to their land to teach them a leasen, Nuer’s people they were
gonna wipe them off from SS, but the only thing that save them is run
away, all of this is an old story, people need to change
repondre message
8 May 03:25, by Eyez
Since when has the tribal president start caring
about non-Dinka being subjected to murder and other heinous crimes by
Jienge government soldiers using the nation’s arms and also arming
their kinsmen....huh? Or is it that the eyes of people and the
International Community is whatching?
repondre message
8 May 02:19, by Don-Don Malith Rual
Centralization or decentralization! What i could say here is that
an era is not a mistake if it’s rectified at the earliest
Stages,these youths belongs to government, it does not belong to
Mr Makuei Lueth or his positions isn’t related to youths
activities.Let’s not be manufacturing words and put them in the mouths
of these authorities figures.Youth got their minister n when it come
to tradition
repondre message
8 May 02:40, by Don-Don Malith Rual
We have youths leaders at the traditional level as well as
paramount chiefs, these leaders are the one to give us clear snarios
on how these youths carry out their attack on their fellows
countrymen.Let’s not fuel up things on tribal line
bases,tribalism,nepotism,ethnicities will not take us to the South
Sudan we want,we need a south Sudan when you ’re ask as to where you
comes from u says I’m fro
repondre message
8 May 02:51, by Don-Don Malith Rual
We need south sudan when one is ask where he/she was
from?will therefore proudly say I am from South Sudan, Sudanese but
not responding in ethnic way that I am from Murle or from Bor,Baari or
Agaar, Nuer, we need South Sudan irrespective of yours
race,gender,religion or cultural background.Inclusives south sudan
repondre message
8 May 06:42, by Sunday Junup
Ba duol jaani dak( I will destroy jaang Council) well said by
prophet Ngundeng, I told you last week that this mark the beginning of
end to Jieng Council of Evil (JCE). Just wait more news are coming.
Kush, don’t shit before water boil. You will one day regret being born
a Dinka
repondre message
8 May 07:07, by Kuch
Junup, go away fool with your damn Ngundeng Deng. Where is
your Riek Machar now, your Ngundeng re-incarnate? You fools are bunch
of idiots who are behind the Dinkas/Jaangs by 1000 years. You are the
most stupidest of all people on earth.
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