South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
Awan Achiek
The Governor of Lakes State, Lt. Gen. Rin Tueny Mabor Deng, on Tuesday reconciled the Akueei community of Awerial County after 10 years of grievances.
Among their grievances were the ownership of cattle camps, the writing of offensive and deplorable songs, and one group’s assertion that they were the only proprietors.
A reconciliation initiative, initiated by the governor, brought together the Koc Achot and Koc Nhial-Madol of the Akueei community, who managed to speak out about their grievances.
The conference, which took place at Dor Payam from February 10–11, 2024, brought together senior government officials, women, youth, chiefs, academics, and community leaders.
Mabor, cautioned Akueei people against engaging in conflict over the land and cattle camps.
“You don’t need to battle over this land; it belongs to the Aliab community,” Mabor said during the closing ceremony of the peace conference held at Dor Payam.
“All the cattle camps and the land belong to the Aliab; you are free to move around your land without anybody stopping you, and this is a law from today onward,” he added.
For his part, Parmena Awerial Aluong, Deputy Speaker for Administration and Finance in the Transitional National Legislative Assembly, told the community to stop wrangling over the cattle camps, claiming that they are all theirs.
“None of these cattle camps are owned by anyone; they belong to all Akueei groups. Whoever moves there with their cows will determine it,” Awerial stated.
Meanwhile, Ayak Der Kom Awan, Supreme Court judge, urged Koc Nyicier and Koc Anok to peacefully put their differences aside and live together as one family.
“You don’t have to migrate to Anguon; you are going nowhere. This land belongs to all of us, and no one can claim ownership, so you cannot have it,” said Kom.
Kuoi Ayang Kuoi, Chairperson of the Aliab Community, said guns are responsible for the death of many lives in the Aliab community.
“We want the children of Nyithiel to live together in peace and eat and walk together as brothers. The late Dr. John Garang fought for this land so that we can be free, and what is killing our people is the prevalence of firearms in the hands of civilians, which civilians used to kill themselves,” said Ayang.
