21/12/2015
..DIDINGA COMMUNITY POSITION PAPER AS DINKA SPLA LEAVES
14th August 2000
1. HASTY AND BITTER GOOD-BYE TO CUHUDUM BY DINKA
It has been a significant breakthrough for the
achievement of peace to dawn once again in Didinga
community despite the current war. This came about as
a result of a long struggle of liberation from the
yoke of Dinka domination and oppression in Didinga and
widely in Equatoria and other regions under SPLA.
The recent conflict that broke out in Cuhudum in 1999,
between Didinga and Dinka SPLA which lasted more than
a year, has sparked off euphoric reaction among
Equatorians to come up with unanimous decision for the
evacuation of Dinka from their territory.
The fact that the Dinka SPLA have been given
compulsory orders to evacuate Cuhudum has subsequently
led to mixed reactions of happiness and bitterness
from the local community.
On 1 June, 2000, the ridges overlooking Cuhudum were
once again pounded with heavy gun machinery at around
dawn as a token of farewell departure from
Didingaland. This was unceremonious event that might
have never happened in any military organisation, from
normal hand-over of administrative powers to despair
or nonetheless, was it a direct surrender to the
so-called Didinga Militia claimed by Dinka? The long
time scared Didinga natives in the surrounding were
wondering as to what was happening to their brutal
enemies who scorched and devastated their land on that
day. As soon as the alarm was raised, a contingent of
Taposa, Lotuho and Didinga soldiers were dispatched
from Kikilai outpost 18 km, to investigate the
situation which was later found to be a mere sign of
evacuation of Dinka SPLA from Cuhudum. But many
Didinga are still keeping on asking. Have the Dinka
really quitted the Didingaland?
The general move made for the evacuation of Dinka in
Equatoria Region has been effected in Cuhudum. Though
the arrangement has not been orderly, some Dinka still
remain in the area but with powers stripped off. All
their major weapons used against Didinga civilians
were surrendered with immediate effect or transferred
to Equatorian soldiers. In addition to Cuhudum, some
Dinka have also been evacuated in Western Equatoria
though the major displaced camps in Acholi corridor
which bore similar experiences have not started with
evacuation programme.
The withdrawal of Dinka from Cuhudum triggered one of
the most triumphant three-day celebrations ever
organized by Didinga in Cuhudum. Despite all the
difficulties they might have been encountering in the
conflict, the Didinga were still able to pick up the
little courage that remained to descend down to
Cuhudum to witness the evacuation of Dinka from their
long forgotten lively town.
2. FROM MILITIA TO SPLA
The relationship between Didinga and Dinka has been
remarkably severe since the entry of the SPLA into the
area in 1985 because of the first historic incident
caused by unruly Dinka SPLA in Hilanya. After this
event, several clashes happened in different locations
which amounted to Didinga being called anti-SPLA; but
the Didinga have been generally on the defensive side.
In other words, as indicated above, Dinka instead
committed their gross mistake during the time by using
the SPLA Movement as a tool to oppress other minor
communities, especially radical tribes. Out of this,
Didinga have become victims of the circumstances and
therefore cardinal enemies to the Dinka.
It is quite surprising to see the same Dinka
surrendering the very weapons that were used against
Didinga (the people they termed militia) when they
left Didinga area. To the outside world, it has been
anticipated that the Government of Omer El Bashir
would eventually take over the contested area of
Didinga because of persistent utterances made by the
SPLA propaganda. This is an apparent indication that
SPLA as an organisation has always been a movement
that comprises a bunch of tribalists lying in order to
distract the objectives of the struggle for Southern
Sudanese.
Presently, the militia notion in Dinka minds has taken
a different direction as a result of bitter experience
to succumb to the truth – a sheer acceptance of the
mistake. Perhaps it is time in the history of Dinka
to accept the truth.
Capt. Peter Lorot managed to organise into a
formidable force Didinga SPLA soldiers who had been
terrorized before by Dinka and became deserters. They
now form the basis from where the protection of poor
Didinga people, for more than a year under the tyranny
of Dinka, came.
The general negative concept associated with
mobilization in Cuhudum before has taken a different
dimension and magnitude. Didinga after realizing
military manpower oppression by Dinka, have turned up
in large numbers to take over from Dinka specially for
community protection against domination which has been
the order of the day in SPLA Movement. So all the
weaponry inherited from the Dinka SPLA have been taken
over by the combined forces of Lotuho, Didinga and
Taposa – Equatoria forces.
Capt. Peter Lorot principally agreed with the current
changes, for he has ceased from agressing the
out-going Dinka and incoming Equatorian forces and
instead encourages his forces to integrate with other
Equatorians fully. He made clear that his objective
has been achieved by removing the Dinka tyrannical
SPLA in the Didinga land and will finally rejoin the
struggle in the restructured Movement.
3. POLITICAL POINT OF VIEW
A handful of Southern Sudanese have seen and heard the
current changes in Equatoria, the relocation of Dinka
who practically and deliberately derailed the cause of
the struggle for their political gain. This could be
interpreted as a confusion of a relief; a total
disaster for the Dinka, and for Equatorians and
others, might be a great joy.
The gravity of oppression exerted by Dinka upon
Equatorians in particular is not different from that
of the Arabs and nobody has ever taken a successful
courage before within the movement to rectify the
situation.
With all the accusations alleged by Dinka, it is a
surprise that Didinga association with the Government
of Sudan militia has never materialized. There has
been a hot argument in political scenario that Didinga
were close associates of the Government of El Bashir
and were calculated agents that could bring the
enemies to the SPLA controlled areas of Cuhudum. It is
now clear that the Didinga might have been fought for
but there still remained for them to struggle further
for any unjust system within the movement and this has
to be extended to other oppressed communities as well.
It is clear therefore that the Didinga have no any
political calculation and ambition. This is not
because they do not want politics but rather, because
they have been oppressed to an extent where political
freedom was a dream and therefore have to rise against
the oppressors the Dinka.
When the political situation became tense at the
international level, the Chairman of the SPLA Movement
Dr. John Garang went as far as declaring the rebellion
by Peter Lorot as a new revolutionary movement within
the SPLA and two prominent figures in Didinga were
labelled as perpetrators: Capt. Peter Lorot and Joseph
Nakwa whom he assassinated a few weeks later in New
Cush. Indeed a wrong button has been mistakenly
touched. The loss of Didinga lives and devastation of
properties have a wholesome bearing upon the Dinka
political miscalculation in Equatoria Region. And this
has been a relief to the entire Equatorians and hence
the massive evacuation of Dinka in Kapoeta County.
4. APPEAL TO INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY FOR INTERVENTION
Probably, the Didinga have never made a loud outcry on
immense humanitarian assistance spent on communities
in the liberated areas of south Sudan, and perhaps
they were only contented with little from health and
educational services that they can afford. Didinga
have been independent and self-reliant for more than a
decade in the process of SPLA struggle in terms of
food and other basic necessities which are locally
obtained.
But the current situation that has plunged them into
war with the Dinka SPLA has pushed them to the
deplorable situation. Owing to more than one year
isolation from international contact, all the tribal
and national borders have been closed with subsequent
lack of medical services, food deficit as a result of
interruption by war and finally many have been forced
into refuge in the neighbouring countries. This
situation requires immediate assistance in three-fold:
De-mining
Food and;
Non-food items assistance
4.1 THE ISSUE OF LANDMINES
Cuhudum and other adjacent areas occupied by Dinka
SPLA during the conflict period have been heavily
mined. An estimated four thousand anti-personnel
mines, relegated anti-tank and explosive mines have
been planted along Homori and Lohomit valleys, in and
around Cuhudum generally and upper part of Cuhudum
namely; Konyo-konyo, Lohidelle, Kuruce and other
unconfirmed areas. The issue of landmines has become
an outrageous to innocent civil population despite the
peace that has been achieved. The Dinka SPLA who were
desperately given evacuation orders out of Cuhudum
have never given any sketchy map on mines and
continued planting them on their departure.
On 16th June, a poor girl (Nabuanga’s daughter)
stepped on freshly planted anti-personnel mine in
unsuspected place, Kuha, 5 km away from Cuhudum which
was a neutral zone from the conflict. She has lost a
leg and is now being nursed in Cuhudum NPA hospital.
However, though the peaceful atmosphere has been
regained in Didinga as a result of Dinka evacuation,
the Didinga permanent enemy remains in the ground –
the land mines. Undoubtedly, the Dinka animosity with
Didinga has taken a different perspective, even if
this was a genuine movement for the liberation of
southern Sudanese, the scale of mining by the SPLA is
beyond the human rationality.
Commander Kol Dim, one of the Didinga arch enemy
officers in Cuhudum conflict was once quoted saying:
“You Didinga have to continue dying from landmines
explosions!” And indeed he organized secret mine
technicians to plant these deadly weapons randomly in
Cuhudum. It is also apparent that the Dinka commanders
with their hidden agenda in the movement have violated
the recent international treaty on the reduction of
landmines in liberated areas in which Operation Save
Innocent Lives (OSIL) is a member for the de-mining
programme.
With dawning of peace in Didinga, the innocent civil
population has flocked into the area without proper
knowledge and identification on the position of
existing land mines. This is a risk taking and we
appeal to the international community for intervention
with the de-mining programme in the area to save the
lives of innocent people.
4.2 FOOD AND NON-FOOD ITEMS
Surely the impact of war is costly in terms of life
and property which create human misery. The people
affected are in dire situation. They lost nearly
everything with exception of their dear lives for
those who were able to escape the wrath of Dinka
tyranny. The subsequent burning of houses reduced them
to ashes and thus contributed to significant losses.
Currently, the areas affected are: Cuhudum, Monita,
and other adjacent villages which hosted this
displaced population have been similarly affected.
We appeal to the International Community and other
local NGOs operating in liberated areas of south Sudan
to help make assessment and rescue the situation with
provision of food and non-food items such as clothes,
water containers, blankets, cooking utensils,
polythene sheet and agricultural implements to assist
and rehabilitate these suffering civilians.
It is also clear that lack of medical services
resulted into one of the most tragic situations. In
recent changes, Cuhudum NPA hospital has been flooded
with emaciated patients carried in locally made
blanket stretchers from different locations; hospital
wards were full all the time with or without a doctor.
Alternatively, some patients have been admitted under
trees and washed by heavy down pour hopelessly.
5. DIDINGA AND SPLA POLICY OF CHEATING INTERNAL
DISPLACED
CAMPLS
Perhaps the SPLA thought that the Didinga people were
against them because they [Didinga] lack understanding
of what led to the Dinka people to be resettled in
Didingaland, or that since the Dinka people have
suffered a lot at the hands of the Arabs than the
Didinga, and that the international opinion is tilted
toward condemning the Arabs of the north, the
terrorist as they are called by some quarters, they
[Dinka] would be forgiven for policing their kinsmen
the Didinga, for this would only be regarded as a
family dispute – husband and wife problem.
This was to teach Didinga people a lesson and make
them graduates of the infamous displaced camps to whom
the SPLA subscribes. To crown it all and make it
legitimate, the SPLA leader, Dr. John Garang,
travelled to Kikilai prior to the peace talks that
took place between the Didinga, New Sudan Council of
Churches and a company of SPLA soldiers on the 30th
July to 6th August, 1999. The SPLA leader took the
opportunity to tell Didinga people that a camp for the
displaced people from areas affected adjacent to
Cuhudum would be created in Kikilai for them to
receive humanitarian assistance. That time, the
Didinga people didn’t respond positively to the SPLA
leader’s initiative because they heard that a
displaced camp would be used as a dragnet. The time
is now ripe for the SPLA leader to clamour for
humanitarian assistance to Didingaland if he so
wishes.
Paradoxically enough, Didinga uniformed intelligent
report has it that a senior Sudan Relief and
Rehabilitation Association (SRRA) official is busy
behind the scene to dampen the seriousness of
humanitarian need to Didingaland.
6. CONCLUSION
It should be understood that Didinga people are not
paragons of virtue, for they have problems of their
own. But these problems should be thoroughly
investigated by the movement with the help of Didinga
intellectuals and solutions found.
The much researched and probably justified argument
within the SPLA movement about the presence of Dinka
SPLA and Dinka people in Cuhudum is that: it is a part
of the overall military and political strategy for the
movement to minimize and reduce both humanitarian
costs on the part of the international organizations,
and negative social and psychological effects from the
enemy on the part of the movement. But then Didinga
people should not be used as pawns, they should be
treated as part and parcel of the overall strategy on
their land.
Didinga intellectuals and knowledgeable people within
the Didinga community felt betrayed by the movement
because of this unfortunate incident and would never
rest until proper explanation is given. If such
explanation is not forthcoming, then Didinga people
would document and establish an archive on this
unfortunate event for all the Didinga generations to
come to research on it.
Rino Loremo Arungole Luis W***y Atiol
Chairperson, Secretary,
Didinga Community Didinga Community
