Dialogue agenda persists in response to heightened tensions

In the Nuer community there will be four engagements preceding a whole Nuer conference that is planned in Waat for the end of March. The first in Motot from 12-14 February convened the Lou community to discuss their internal issues, in particular rising tensions between some of their sections and those of the neighbouring Gawaar community. Following the meeting, the Commissioners of Nyirol, Ayod and Uror convened an initial meeting in Paluony to address these issues, with a further major dialogue to be conducted in Pading beginning from 4-7 March. This will be followed by an internal meeting of the Gawaar (7-8 March) and Jikany (16-17 March), respectively, before the wider conference that draws together representatives of the whole community (28-30 March).

The Nuer communities as a whole have expressed deep frustration with ongoing sporadic attacks launched from the territory of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area. The dynamics on this side of the region are particularly impacted by the social structures of the age sets, which is the current focus of internal dialogues there. Similarly to the Nuer side, three separate dialogues are in progress before a summative event in Pibor beginning on 5 March. The account below of the Gumuruk dialogue, from 18-19 February illustrates a number of the factors of ongoing conflict and the potential drivers of a deeper peacebuilding agenda.

Gumuruk County age-set dialogue

The two-day event brought participants from the twelve payams of Gumuruk county. The local administration and paramount chief selected the twenty-five participants, agreeing to increase the number of Lango and Kurenen in the pre-dialogue. These two age-sets are the main perpetrators of age-set conflicts in greater Gumuruk.

The commissioner, paramount chief and peace partners travelled to Manyibol and Malegenya both to address the wider security situation and to confirm the participants for the age set dialogue.  Gumuruk, Manyabol and Malegenya and its surrounding villages are calm; the main issue visible in the faces of women and children is a lack of food, and anger at the road blockage by Dinka Bor. They expressed their disappointment in the national government allowing the local community to control the movement of goods and services, also accusing the federal government of supporting the current roadblock. They see no other explanation for the continuation of the blockade.

The approach to the meeting aimed to go beyond generic statements around peace. It explored the history and culture of age-sets in the Murle community and its importance, understanding the differences between the older and current age-sets and then the drivers of the current conflicts between Lango and Kurenen. Only from this foundation did the facilitation team move the discussion towards prevention measures and approaches to curb the ongoing conflict and agree on immediate actions.

“The youth do not respect women, including their mothers. They act as if they are above the law and God.”

The two elders who spoke on the history of the Murle age-sets system were from Mara and Dorong. Both elders confirmed the age set of today, especially the two youngest Lango and Kurenen, do not respect the elders. Although the elders confirmed that internal rivalry is not a new phenomenon in the Murle age-set system, they expressed indignation for the way in which youth (Lango and Kurenen) have used age sets to increase division and destruction in the community today.

In an extensive elaboration of traditional approaches to age set conflicts, the elders also pointed out significant differences. The weapons were not lethal, and in the more rare event of someone being killed in an age set fight, blood compensation was paid immediately in recognition that it was not intentional. If a combatant were on the ground, you would not continue to hit them and elders would intervene in cases where they sensed a likely escalation. Age set groups moved only in small groups, not the hundreds that are seen these days. And fights tended to remain contained, with brothers of different age sets continuing to live in the same home. The younger participants of the dialogue acknowledged that their means of continuing the age set conflict is at odds with the traditional practices.

Responding to this conversation, in a combination of small group and plenary sessions, the youth identified their perspective on the enablers of the ongoing conflict.

• • • Availability of guns – the increasing hostility in the community is attributed to the accessibility of firearms by anyone. The young people, in return, pointed a figure to the lack of law enforcement, accusing the government of not doing much.

    • Favouritism by some elders/parents – the youth accused the elders of taking sides when a dispute is brought to them to adjudicate. The young people asked the elders to be neutral and intervene when these fights occurred. When Lango and Kurenen fight, parents rally behind their children instead of condemning what is happening. This continues to fuel the conflict of the age set.

    • Lack of education – the youth desire for education was expressed overwhelmingly. The youth said education is one way of preventing these age set fights. They claimed it is scarce for educated youth to participate in these fights. They asked the government and organisations to create educational opportunities.

    • Poverty – The elders accused the youth of moving in large groups, and this was met with an explanation that they have to move in large groups to enable them to rob, steal and raid to survive.

    • Defection between different age sets is one of the causes of conflict. When an individual or group defects, they are rounded up, bitten, and their cattle are taken. Often, the other group would launch a retaliatory attack, and the circle never ends.

    • The segregation between Lango and Kurenen – these two groups never meet, and whenever they meet, it leads to a fight. It encourages split within the same family too. They would have their own cattle camps and way of life.

    • Split within Kurenen – the younger Kurenen are trying to break away, and instead of forming their own age set, they defect and join Lango. It was acknowledged this is a massive cause of conflict within the Kurenen age set.

The women shared several accounts of rape and attack by the youth, pleading that this must stop. One woman shared how she lost two of her sons to age set fights. “The youth do not respect women, including their mothers. They act as if they are above the law and God.”

After day one, some participants acknowledged it was the first time they could sit together with some of the opposite age set. The bottom line was they wanted to change things for their community and were willing to work together.

All the participants agreed to a number of specific follow up actions:

• • • Working together as a group and travel to Nanaam where these two age sets reside along the river.

    • Walking through Gumuruk market to show they are united.

    • Forming a small group at the village level to intervene in the age set fights.

    • Meeting more regularly as a group.

    • Declaring Gumuruk a gun-free town, starting immediately.

    • Requesting a visit by the WFP Country Director and POF-Peace Canal after they heard this team visited Yuai and Walgak.

    • They asked the Paramount Chief to call for a meeting of red chief sons to support them.