Pibor in conflict three months after Juba truce

Barely three months after President Salva Kiir led a midwifery of peace deal to put an end to ethnic violence in Greater Pibor Administrative Area, a costly inter-communal conflict that claimed hundreds lurks.  

Pibor youth secretary-general for external affairs told City Review that armed youth from Jonglei State carried out an attack causing tensions and forcing many civilians to seek refuge in nearby bushes.

Despite President Kiir’s warning during the Juba’s all-peace conference— that he would never mediate Greater Jonglei conflicts—vital lessons may have not been learnt and the area could relapse to volatility and mistrust.

The youth official said the attack on Pibor population occurred on May 7 in which armed youth were captured in areas of Nanaam in GPAA.

“This incident took place around the areas of Nanaam, Kongor Tanginyar near Pibor. They (armed youth) have displaced people and took away herds of cattle but we could not estimate what number of cattle they have taken,” Nyiro said.

He said they were unable to establish the number of those who died, those wounded, children and women who might have been abducted so far.

Blame games

Mr. Nyiro blamed the Nuer youth from Gawaar as well as Dinka youth from Nyarwing for having triggered yet another violence causing insecurity in the area.

“While we cannot ascertain the exact motive of the attack, it is very posible that some youth went and raided some cattle but the GPAA authorities recovered the cattle and the Chief Administrator was in the process to hand over those herd of cattle to the rightful owners from Jonglei State,” he said.

He recalled the Jonglei peace conference saying a committee was formed and tasked to monitor any group that may instigate further conflict in the region.

“The   resolution stated that in case of any attacks caused by any community, the authorities of that state or that community should immediately take action to recover back children or cattle raided if there’s any,” Mr. Nyiro explained.

The secretary said last month authorities in Greater Pibor handed over about 54 abducted children to Jonglei leadership at Pieri County stressing that the event was witnessed by UNICEF.

He argued that there was lack of concern by Jonglei State authorities to quickly respond to the current crisis.

“The number of the attackers is about ten thousand youth and this means they have already violated peace agreement which was signed during the peace conference,” he emphasized.

Though the peace conference was to bring a lasting solution, the culture of cattle raiding may prevent stability between Jonglei and the people of Pibor.

Mr. Nyiro is appealing to the High-level Committee which was headed by Dr. James Wani Igga to intervene into the issue.

During the conference, Dr. James Wani Igga also challenged Dinka, Nuer and Murle to stop trading on their children, an issue seen as one of the factors fuelling conflict between the three-ethnic groups.

 ‘‘Stop auctioning your children like cars. The amount of money parents require for dowry is too high and it should be reduced,’’ Igga said.

Chief Administrator for Pibor Joshua Konyi said the situation remained tensed.

“The situation is worse in three payams, Likwangole, Gumruk and Vertet since last week fighting is ongoing,” he said.

Jonglei Commissioner Yuot Alier Hok could not be reached for comments as his network connectivity was breaking.

No capacity building

At January 2021 conference in Juba, Governor Debate Chagor said areas riddled with conflicts like his state have stunted because the people are told to embrace peace with no alternative. This, he said, has contributed deeply to the collapse of previous peace deals signed to bring sanity in Jonglei and Pibor.

 “The reason why the problem is not resolved is because the innocent citizens in Jonglei and Pibor Administrative Area are not the problem. The problem is with us here in Juba [politicians],’’ he said.

“As we all know that there are so many good resolutions written about Jonglei; so many good documents on how to solve this conflict but yet this conflict has not been resolved,’’ Chagor bemoaned.

The Governor said that building more schools to raise the literacy levels and creating jobs could be the masterstroke to solving the insecurity-especially wiping out cattle rustling.

“It is so difficult for somebody who grew up doing cattle raids to stop [it] while there is no any means of development in their village. Now we are telling them that you lay down your gun and sit down and do nothing. That is not possible,’’ he said.

Chagor said an all-inclusive governance approach is crucial and without it the country risks losing crucial investors to the neighbouring countries.

“If I am an investor who wanted to invest in Jonglei State but I cannot provide security, [I] will not only leave Jonglei but I will leave South Sudan and will go to Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia or another country,’’ he said.

Chief Administrator Pibor Area Joshua Konyi said at the conference, “It is better for us to accept peace and be in peace.” Konyi attributed the collapse of previous deals to improper involvement of people at the grassroot level.

Behind the pursuit of peace is a committee of representatives from the affected communities that will be constituted by the president to monitor the implementation of the resolutions.

According to data compiled by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, inter-communal violence claimed over 600 lives, displacing over 160,000 people – with the Dinka Bor, Nuer, and Murle ethnic groups being the most affected as of 2020. With updated statistics unavailable in 2021, the figures could be higher.