Opinion: Is South Sudan National Youth Union a rightful body or a wolf in sheep skin?

June 14, 2020 Opinions

By Ayuen John

Chairperson of South Sudan National Youth Union Gola Boyoi Gola (Photo credit: supplied)

June 14, 2020 (SSNN) – My dear country men and women – especially the resilient youth of South Sudan who are subsisting with hardship of numerous predicaments and pandemic within the country and abroad. I humbly salute you in the name of our beloved nation. Indeed some of the youth may wonder about the question put forward by the author. Whether South Sudan National Youths Union (SSNYU) is a rightful body to manage youth’s affairs or a wolf in ship skin?

In flashback, South Sudan National Youth Union was instituted in 2014 through Presidential decree or under the auspices of President Salva Kiir Mayardit with the aim of reorganizing the already forgotten youths of South Sudan since the signing of Comprehensive Peace agreement (CPA) in 2005. There was no unify body representing youths of various political parties apart from SPLM Party Youths league which was mistakenly assumed to be the national body for all youths regardless of their parties affiliation.

The focal core of establishing National Youth Union was to consulate and modernized youth’s interest without fear or favor. Also the body aim at necessitating youth’s interest politically, academically, economically, and by fostering rural youths with appropriate skills and labor empowerment just to mentions because youths constitute seventy percent of South Sudan Population.

To my surprise South Sudan National Youth’s Union under the leadership of Cdr. Gola Boyoi, has fatally lost legitimacy and it wider recognitions as a national body representing South Sudanese Youths has fated. The Union has diverted from it national agenda to contemptible tribal and ethic schema for either personal benefit or for the interest of petite click of mafias that are destabilizing peace and tranquility in the country through drollness ideology of rule and divide.

Image the President of South Sudan National Youths Union on June 12, 2020 wrote a condemnations letter using headed paper and a logo of the national Union alleging that the armed Youths from Lou Nuer, Dinka Bor jointly attacks Murle tribe in Greater Pibor Administrative Area. The condemnations letter is a mischief and a total propaganda from youth’s office in order to distract South Sudanese and the world attention on the recent massacres of Lou Nuer civilians in six villages Akobo County in defunct Biech state. Your condemnations letter is a nightmare dream. No single youths from the alleged ethnicities has gone to Pibor.

Mr. Gola, How necessary is it for the Union chair like you to cheaply kneel to his own tribe and join the primitive propaganda on unfound rumors and tribal allegation that are pessimistic in nature. What exactly prompted your office to write a condemnations letter? Your office is biases and divisive. Youths from the alleged ethnicities of Lou Nuer and Dinka Bor follow Murle criminals for cattle’s rustling, Child abduction previously but not now as you alleged in the letter. South Sudan National Youths Union is not longer a rightful body rather than being a rubber stamp for the Murle tribe and their Godfather Mr. Akot Lual Areech, the alleged protector of minorities in Upper Nile Region.

Truthfully, there are many unfold incidence of tribal fights between the Bul-Nuer of Unity State and Twic Mayaradit of Warrap state, Dinka Agaar of Rumbek, Gok Arol Kachuol versus Tonj. Also Farmers from Western Bar el Gazal state are being displaced forcefully from their farms and your office remains silent. Why? Unarmed civilians butchered in Yei, Morobo, Lainya, Women being abducted by rebel’s forces. Why are you not condemning the numerous series of incidences? What is special about Pibor or Murle propagate attacks?

In my view your office has no impartial stance and therefore you have lost legitimacy given the fact that you become a tribal youth leader who cheaply join his community and disseminate wild propagandas for covering-up previous atrocities committed by Murle against their neighbors.

Mr. Gola, truly without doubt you have proven a South Sudanese proverb that say’s even if a donkey reached a university level in academic it will still be regarded as a Donkey. In summary Murle remain murle despite the fact that you are holding a national office you still think like them.

Nevertheless, your office is always silent on several catastrophes in some parts of the country. How vivid is your propaganda this time? What impelled your office to write a condemnations letter on empty ground? Mr. Chairman you claimed in your press statement that two areas have been attack. Where is the statistical death toll of Murle peoples to backup your propaganda?

In my understanding your letter was meant to counteract on the already documented atrocities and crimes of child abduction and cattle raiding for the long awaiting justice against the Murle tribe on the account of their primitive and backward practices against the peaceful communities of Lou Nuer, Bor Dinka, Anyuak, Jie and many others neighbors respectively.

On May 18, 2020 the armed youths from Murle tribe join with Cobra faction of the former renegade David Yau Yau attacks Six villages of Lou Nuer in Akobo county of the defunct Biech state, killing nearly one thousand unarmed civilians mainly women and children’s, annihilated houses and destroyed all livelihood, raided thousands herds of cattle’s. Why don’t you and your office of National Youths Union write Condemnation Letter at that time? You remain silent because they attackers were your tribesmen.

It is understood that your office write condemnations letter based on rumor and fears of retaliation from the neighboring tribes that has been disturbed by Murle for so long but not on realities and facts. Ignoring the incident that has cost hundreds of lives in Lou Nuer Land executed by your own tribesmen? Your Union is not a rightful body but a wolf in Sheep Skin?

Historically Murle are known for destabilizations and insecurity in Upper Nile Region and South Sudan as whole. For instance Murle have been practicing child abduction, cattle’s raiding, killing and raping since the creation. The president of South Sudan National Youth union wanted to scapegoats the already documented series of wider violent on innocent and peaceful societies.

Mr. Gola history can prove you wrong and allow me to take you through the account of destabilization and inhuman practices of Murle as follow;

First, since the time of creation, Murle have been known by South Sudanese and the whole world as the only tribe with abusive and primitive practices of children abductions, taking other peoples properties and resources by force. This inhuman practice of selling human being is not anywhere in the universe but only with the Murle tribe.

Secondly, Murle tribe has been attacking their neighbors within Jonglei, Central Equatoria and Eastern Equatoria states. Instead of condemning your own tribe and advices them to stays peaceful with their neighbors you are now joining the war of terror by using National Youths Union as your ladder for disseminating false accusations.

Thirdly, Murle tribe is known for crossing International borders with their simple mindset of child abduction and cattle raiding. In 2017 Murle crossed to Ethiopia and abducted five hundred children’s killing several others. Your disgraceful condemnations cannot erase the already known facts about Murle ruthless practices.

Fourthly, it is the high time for the president of South Sudan National Youths Union to sit down with Murle advice them to desist from causing trouble and problems with their neighbors. If Murle are peaceful as claim in the condemnations letter why do they raids almost the entire region including Lou Nuer, Bor Dinka, Anyuak, Jie, Kachipo, Mundari, Bari, Lokoya, Lotuko and Lolubo. Why?

Last but not the least; let the Murle peoples change their life style of being agent of insecurity and destabilizations. Tell them to be both Agriculturalists and herders, Build schools and hospitals with the resources or money that are spending on ammunitions. Treats Murle women and men of various diseases that caused infertility on them so that they can give birth to their own genetic children’s instead of nursing abducted kids, take it as your primary role because you have reduced yourself to the level of Murle traditional chief then being a national youth leader.

In conclusion, without doubt you have signified your weakness and the common reasons why most of the youths rejected your forceful rigged election into the office. Your behaviors and ethnic ideology will affect the National Youth Union. It will be seen as a puppet in the eyes of Youths countrywide.

The author is a concerned South Sudan citizen can be reached for comments and inputs via: ayuenjohn2050@gmail.com.

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