Governor visits rare peaceful spot in troubled Upper Nile State

At the Freedom Square the Governor addressed the masses stating that Maban is the only peaceful and stable county in the whole of Upper Nile State, adding that he hoped that Maban tribes would work to bring peace between the warring tribes of Dinka, Shilluk and Nuer.

The Governor arrived in Maban from Renk, where the Upper Nile State government has relocated to due to recent heavy clashes with rebels and militias in Malakal town. He was accompanied by the State Minister of Finance, the State Minister of Education, the State Minister for Health, the Advisor for Political Affairs and the State SSRRC Director.

Maban County witnessed unrest in 2014 amid rebels attacking Jamam Payam, mass defections of soldiers hailing from the Nuer tribe, and the killing of an aid worker of Nuer origin in Maban town. Despite those incidents, Maban remained the only safe place for all tribes from Upper Nile State and is unusual for its lack of tribal discrimination specially regarding people from the Nuer etnicity who are often viewed as enemies in Dinka and Shilluk lands.

Addressing the public the Governor blamed the current conflict not on divisions between Dinka and Nuer tribes, but rather on the power-grabbing tactics of the former vice-President and current rebel leader Riek Machar.

“Riek Machar was educated by the West, he has a PHD in killing people, he kills South Sudanese people,” he said, referring to the SPLM/A split of 1991 when Riek broke away from the mainstream SPLM led by Dr. John Garang and formed the Nasir Faction.

He went on to outline that the current fighting in South Sudan, which is often referred to as civil war between the Dinka (President Kiir's ethnicity) and the Nuer, was not so simple: “Riek Machar thought that all the Nuer will follow him to rebellion, but look in Greater Upper Nile State, Unity and Upper Nile, it is the Nuer soldiers who are fighting Riek rebels.”

He added that the Nuer retained an important role in the ranks of power, holding positions like National Minister for Education, Minister of Health, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister for Roads, Transport and Bridges and the Minister for Youth.

Fighting between rebels and government forces has killed thousands of people and displaced millions. It has also left many struggling to source enough food.

The Governor donated an ambulance to the County hospital to assist with the transportation of delivering women in the county.

John Ibo the Commissioner of Maban County as well as the State Security Advisor urged the peaceful settlement to serve as an example: “Maban is a home of peace loving people; you can see here all tribes of Upper Nile are living together peacefully,” he said. "There are three brothers fighting now in Upper Nile namely Dinka against Nuer, Dinka against Shilluk. You people of Maban go and tell them to stop fighting because you know what peace is!”

The celebrating crowd wept when sensational drama about the current conflict in the State and the country was played by a primary school drama group.

Despite the welcoming mood of the people, many people were not happy with the Governor as he failed to deliver services to the people of the County since his election in 2010.

“Why is he here today to do what? All these years he did not bother himself to come to us and failed to bring us the development he promised,” said one elderly man.

This is the first time the Governor visited the County since he was elected in April 2010.