Murle community leaders have denied reports linking the community with the rebellion led by David Yau Yau in eastern parts of Jonglei state.
By Jacob Achiek Jok
BOR, 01 September 2013 [Gurtong] – “It is not all Murle tribe that have joined Yau Yau as we Murle intellectuals are in the government like I myself and others in Juba [National Government] even some youth are supporting the government still in Payams and that is really an allegation which I strongly deny,” Member of Parliament Lokoli Ame Bollen has said.
Speaking to journalists in Bor, Lokoli Ame who is representing Pibor west and the chairperson for health and education committee in the state legislative assembly has said that all Murle community members are not supporting David Yau Yau, the leader of the rebel faction in eastern part of Jonglei, adding that they are like normal citizens in South Sudan.
“The Insecurity activities and fighting escalating in the areas against the South Sudan Government, some of whom joined Yau Yau and this does not mean that whole of Murle youth have joined Yau Yau forces,” he said.
He revealed that some of youth from Murle have joined Yau Yau forces.
“I am not denying that, because during the disarmament there were some abuses according to the report, people were tortured in Pibor and then whoever among youth doesn’t want to surrender his gun ran to Yau Yau and Yau Yau got that opportunity,” Lokoli said.
Ame stresses that he didn’t see people from Murle tribe that went to the rebel, adding that Murle intellectuals have not joined the rebellion against the government.
“Yau Yau is a rebel against the government and against whoever doesn’t collaborate with him, we have no connection with his activities,” he said.
“It repeats many times because during the SPLA army struggle, Ismail Konyi was fighting against SPLA and people said it was whole of Murle but was Ismail with his groups because he was a militia fighting against the SPLA,” Ame said.
He said that during George Athor rebelled after general election in 2010 nobody was accusing the community of Pigi county, people were blaming rebel fighter George Athor elements only while Athor was like Yau Yau in Pibor county.
Indeed, Lokoli says there were a lot of militias activities in all the tribes not only from Murle.
“Paulino Matip was a rebel and other tribes didn’t say that was Nuer fighting against SPLA army forces,” he said.
Murle community intellectuals have plans to meet with the renegade David Yau Yau, the leader of rebel faction in Pibor County for peace talks.
In June, about 15 Murle politicians led by Maj. Gen. Sultan, Ismail Konyi engaged the state government on how they will meet with the rebel group for peace negotiations.
Meanwhile, the peace process was not successful because of the inter-communal fighting which erupted in Pibor County in July.
Thousands of people in Pibor have been reported to have been affected by the inter-communal violence in eastern parts of Jonglei State following a heavy fight that broke out between the Lou-Nuer faction and on Murle communities.
The attack launched by Lou Nuer youth on Murle’s 23 villages in areas of Likuongole and Gumuruk started on 05th of July and ended on 19th leading to the deterioration of the situation in which 328 people were reported to have been killed and more than 173,000 cattle were reportedly raided during the attack.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) early this year had warned unless government exert more effort to avert the situation, the crisis is likely to become a national threat.