Self-proclaimed Lou-Nuer prophet declares his intention to work for peace
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Elisabeth Janaina
Jun 2, 2013, 12:26:15 AM6/2/13
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Self-proclaimed Lou-Nuer prophet declares his intention to work for peace
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May 31, 2013 (JUBA) – A spiritual leader in the territory of Lou-Nuer
community in Jonglei state said he would now work to promote peace and
unity among the South Sudanese people after resisting the security
forces for over one year wanting to fight the rival Murle community.
Dak Kueth, who claims to have been possessed by spiritual powers in
2011 managed to mobilize 13,000 armed Lou-Nuer youth and put them
under the command of Bor Doang, a notorious youth leader, and directed
them to bring the rival Murle community under control.
His youth said they were retaliating against attacks by armed Murle
youth against their villages in which hundreds of people were
reportedly killed in June 2011 by Murle attackers.
The Murle argued that they were also retaliating against similar past
attacks carried out by the Lou-Nuer on their territories.
However, the December 2011 retaliation by the Lou-Nuer resulted to the
capture of a number of Murle towns and villages, including their
Linkuangole payam headquarter which caused a displacement of thousands
from the Murle population.
The group also threatened to capture the county headquarter of Pibor,
burnt some houses in the outskirts of the town, but did not enter its
centre as the South Sudan army was ready to defend the town.
The two-week attack left unknown number of people dead, sometimes in
thousands according to reports from Murle elders. Over one hundred
thousand heads of cattle were reportedly driven back into Lou-Nuer
territory by the youth.
Senior leaders of the national government had to personally intervene
and flew to the captured town of Linkuangole in order to stop the
angry Lou-Nuer youth from advancing into other Murle territories.
The youth criticized the government for not successfully controlling
the Murle by disarming them and stopping their frequent raids against
other neighbouring communities, thus taking the law into their own
hands.
Dak Kueth’s field commander, Bor Doang, publicly revealed his
intention to capture the whole Murle county of Pibor, impose his
authority for a number of months until he forcefully disarm the Murle
youth on behalf of the government.
A youth delegation from the area has however confirmed to the
Vice-President, Riek Machar, that the self-proclaimed prophet has
embraced peace after he recently surrendered himself to the
government.
The Vice-president’s press secretary, James Gatdet Dak, who attended
the meeting, told the Sudan Tribune that the leadership of Uror Youth
Association (UYA) under the chairmanship of Mach Yak, on Thursday
briefed the Vice-president on the positive developments initiated by
the spiritual leader in the area.
The delegation who paid a visit to Dak Kueth recently, said they were
impressed by his stance as he was discouraging youth from drinking
alcohol or raiding other communities including the Murle.
Currently the South Sudan army is trying to neutralize a rebellion
which has developed in Pibor county under the command of a theologian
student, David Yau Yau.
The military operation was prompted by a new wave of attacks carried
out by the heavily armed rebelled Murle youth against the Lou-Nuer
civilians, massacring over a hundred mostly women and children, in
Walgak area of Akobo county in February this year.
The rebel leader has been recruiting and arming the Murle youth in
defiance of the disarmament exercise by the government and continuing
to raid other communities and lay ambushes to the security forces.
In recent weeks the rebel group managed to capture the historical town
of Boma within the county but was recaptured by the government’s
forces.
(ST)
ArticleComments (26)
EmailPrintSave
May 31, 2013 (JUBA) – A spiritual leader in the territory of Lou-Nuer
community in Jonglei state said he would now work to promote peace and
unity among the South Sudanese people after resisting the security
forces for over one year wanting to fight the rival Murle community.
Dak Kueth, who claims to have been possessed by spiritual powers in
2011 managed to mobilize 13,000 armed Lou-Nuer youth and put them
under the command of Bor Doang, a notorious youth leader, and directed
them to bring the rival Murle community under control.
His youth said they were retaliating against attacks by armed Murle
youth against their villages in which hundreds of people were
reportedly killed in June 2011 by Murle attackers.
The Murle argued that they were also retaliating against similar past
attacks carried out by the Lou-Nuer on their territories.
However, the December 2011 retaliation by the Lou-Nuer resulted to the
capture of a number of Murle towns and villages, including their
Linkuangole payam headquarter which caused a displacement of thousands
from the Murle population.
The group also threatened to capture the county headquarter of Pibor,
burnt some houses in the outskirts of the town, but did not enter its
centre as the South Sudan army was ready to defend the town.
The two-week attack left unknown number of people dead, sometimes in
thousands according to reports from Murle elders. Over one hundred
thousand heads of cattle were reportedly driven back into Lou-Nuer
territory by the youth.
Senior leaders of the national government had to personally intervene
and flew to the captured town of Linkuangole in order to stop the
angry Lou-Nuer youth from advancing into other Murle territories.
The youth criticized the government for not successfully controlling
the Murle by disarming them and stopping their frequent raids against
other neighbouring communities, thus taking the law into their own
hands.
Dak Kueth’s field commander, Bor Doang, publicly revealed his
intention to capture the whole Murle county of Pibor, impose his
authority for a number of months until he forcefully disarm the Murle
youth on behalf of the government.
A youth delegation from the area has however confirmed to the
Vice-President, Riek Machar, that the self-proclaimed prophet has
embraced peace after he recently surrendered himself to the
government.
The Vice-president’s press secretary, James Gatdet Dak, who attended
the meeting, told the Sudan Tribune that the leadership of Uror Youth
Association (UYA) under the chairmanship of Mach Yak, on Thursday
briefed the Vice-president on the positive developments initiated by
the spiritual leader in the area.
The delegation who paid a visit to Dak Kueth recently, said they were
impressed by his stance as he was discouraging youth from drinking
alcohol or raiding other communities including the Murle.
Currently the South Sudan army is trying to neutralize a rebellion
which has developed in Pibor county under the command of a theologian
student, David Yau Yau.
The military operation was prompted by a new wave of attacks carried
out by the heavily armed rebelled Murle youth against the Lou-Nuer
civilians, massacring over a hundred mostly women and children, in
Walgak area of Akobo county in February this year.
The rebel leader has been recruiting and arming the Murle youth in
defiance of the disarmament exercise by the government and continuing
to raid other communities and lay ambushes to the security forces.
In recent weeks the rebel group managed to capture the historical town
of Boma within the county but was recaptured by the government’s
forces.
(ST)
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