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Sudan: Dinka-Nuer Peace Conference
Sudan: Dinka-Nuer Peace Conference
Date distributed (ymd): 990304
Document reposted by APIC
+++++++++++++++++++++Document Profile+++++++++++++++++++++
Region: East Africa
Issue Areas: +security/peace+
Summary Contents:
This posting contains reports from the New Sudan Council of
Churches (NSCC) and Sudan Infonet, on the late February peace
and reconciliation conference in southern Sudan. For more
information contact NSCC or Sudan Infonet at the addresses
below.
+++++++++++++++++end profile++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sudan Infonet <SudanInfonet@compuserve.com>
DINKA-NUER PRESS RELEASE #2
Date: 20 February 1999
From: New Sudan Council of Churches
Chiefs Of Dinka and Nuer Stir Crowds, Emotions and Perform
Rituals
Dinka-Nuer West Bank Peace and Reconciliation
Conference in southern Sudan
NAIROBI, KENYA: The New Sudan Council of Churches has
successfully facilitated a historic exchange of visits by
Dinka and Nuer Chiefs and community leaders on the West side
of the Nile River in the Regions of Bahr el Ghazal and Western
Upper Nile. The attached report from Dr. William O. Lowrey,
who is serving as the NSCC Facilitator of this peace process,
gives an eye-witness account of the events.
With the conclusion of the exchange visits the final
preparations for the formal peace conference are now in high
gear. Hundreds of delegates chosen by their own people from
all the counties of Bahr el Ghazal and Western Upper Nile are
now on the move to the conference site. The first arrival of
official delegates is expected on Sunday 21 February. Many
delegates are walking for long distances. Some are being
picked up in lorries for part of their journey. An airlift
that will transport observers from the East of the Nile and
many Nuer participants from their central collection point in
Western Upper Nile will take place just before the conference
formally opens.
A Nuer-Nuer Reconciliation conference is now taking place as
a preparation for the Dinka-Nuer conference. This
reconciliation has been viewed as critical after severe
fighting between Nuer sections in the second half of 1998.
Chiefs and community leaders have come together in a common
site to heal their intra-ethnic wounds. From that site they
will be transported in shuttle flights by NSCC to the site of
the Dinka-Nuer Conference.
After three months of work by approximately 300 local people,
the Dinka community that is hosting the conference is rapidly
completing their preparations of 150 toukels, a meeting hall,
latrines, water tanks, food distribution and preparation
sites, and communications and documentation centers. The
Convoy with final supplies arrived at the site on Thursday 18
February after a three week journey beginning in Kenya,
passing through Uganda and covering extremely difficult
terrain in southern Sudan. The arrival of the Convoy touched
off a celebration of joy from workers at the site and team
members of NSCC in Nairobi.
The NSCC team has announced that the Opening Ceremonies will
take place on Saturday 27 February. The following three days
will be extended times of storytelling between Dinka and Nuer
with the identification of key issues taking place within the
context of the stories. Following that will be a period of
working groups that design solutions for the identified
issues. These proposals will then be worked by the whole
conference to gain consensus on conclusions and resolutions.
Efforts will be made by the conference to create new
institutional arrangements that can build peace along the
Dinka-Nuer border over an extended period of time. If the
Conference is successful, one of the first evidences will be
the immediate sharing of the toich (grazing lands along the
rivers) and fishing ponds during the current dry season.
NSCC calls upon people of faith to join in prayer and
practical support for this courageous effort of indigenous
peoples to build a peace from the grass-roots upward.
Journalists are welcome to cover the Conference but an EMBARGO
will continue on the filing of stories until the Conference
officially ends.
Dr. Haruun Ruun Executive Secretary New Sudan Council of
Churches
For More Information Contact NSCC:
Phone: 254-2-446966/448141
Fax: 254-2-447015
Email: NSCC-NBO@maf.org
EYEWITNESS HIGHLIGHTS by William O. Lowrey
[Participants in Chiefs Exchange: Five Dinka Chiefs, three
Nuer Chiefs, a Nuer Dep. Appeals Court Judge, Nuer and Dinka
Women's leader, Nuer and Dinka Intellectuals, three
journalists, myself as peace process facilitator; and
thousands of community people including additional chiefs,
civil and military officials, women, youth, children]
There is no doubt that a peace is underway between Dinka and
Nuer in Bahr el Ghazal and Western Upper Nile regions in
southern Sudan. It is a world that is difficult to grasp for
people from the West. This is not a peace that is forged
primarily on a piece of paper, although that will happen by
the time the Conference is over. It is not a peace constructed
in meetings and negotiated as a set of ideas, although that
too is likely in the coming couple of weeks. This is a peace
and reconciliation process between peoples with oral
traditions. They draw from rich resources of traditional life
and see themselves as rooted in a common family. Dinka and
Nuer know that peace comes when people are reconciled, wrongs
are forgiven, covenants are established, rituals provide
visible signs of inner commitments, and new paths are created
for interactive relationships along their borders and within
each others' lands.
This exchange of chiefs was historic. It is a part of the
peace, not a prelude to a conference. Within the total process
the new relationships are forged. As they tell stories to each
other they see the hand of God at work to bring them peace. As
I witness their peacemaking, I see the Spirit of God blowing
in their midst and it is clear that the peace that is coming
is being built with their own hands and driven by passionate
hearts. Warriors are being transformed into peacemakers. From
my journal and the writings on my heart come these highlights:
- On the plane with the Nuer chiefs flying from Leer to
Marial and Thiet in Dinkaland the sounds of chattering magpies
suddenly took over. The Nuer looked out the window of the
plane, saw the crossing of "their river" and knew they had
entered Dinkaland for the first time. It was electric.
- In Marial Lou, where we refueled, it was just these Nuer
and me standing next to the plane surrounded by a couple of
hundred surprised Dinka. It was not part of our planned
journey and was only a fuel stop. Deborah, the Nuer women's
leader saw a Dinka women she knew and explained to her in
Dinka that this was the mission of peace to Dinkaland. Then
the Dinka began to come up and inspect the Nuer and shake
hands and ask questions. I gave out press releases to some who
could read English. Then some discovered that standing right
if front of them was Chief Isaac Magok, the fearful warrior
they knew only by reputation. Suddenly the excitement became
immense. They kept saying, "if Chief Isaac is in Dinkaland
there will be no more fighting."
- In Thiet with Dinka chiefs hosting Nuer Chiefs...twice
bulls were sacrificed, flipped on their backs, four men
holding their legs, a knife slitting the throat, geyser of
blood spurting from the aorta, and each of us stepping across
the slain bull, proclaiming in action that the conflict of the
past was being cut from us all and the peace was beginning.
- In Thiet again...rituals of libations suggested by the
women and participated in by us all. A calabash of water was
brought with sesame seed floating in the water. The seed
represent new life. The calabash was passed and each person
spit ritually into the gourd bowl. This symbolized the joining
of life fluids with one another. In addition the fine spray
spittle represents the coolest part of the hot tongue that can
be the root of conflict or contribute to healing and peace. We
all came forward and washed our hands in the water. Then we
took water in our cupped hands and threw water as a sprinkling
over each other. We were being sprinkled clean from the past
sins and conflict and enabled to start anew to build the
peace. The second libation was similar the next day. But this
time there was no spitting or passing the calabash. The oldest
Dinka chief walked around the circle with a young woman
carrying the calabash. As he came to each person he dipped the
water and sprinkled water on the feet of each of us. This
signified the cooling down from the heat of conflict and the
preparation of our feet for the work of peace. I was reminded
of the verse from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah "how
beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring
peace/good news."
- In Dinkaland long discussions about security and danger.
One Dinka said, "The Nuer have disarmed us by taking the risk
to come to our land. Now we must take courage to go to
theirs." However, there was great concern among the Dinka
because they did not know who could provide security in
Nuerland...there are the forces of Riek Machar, President
Bashier, Cdr. Paulino Matip, Cdr. Kerubino Bol...who is really
in charge. Late into the night they debated as Dinka alone.
Cmdr. Salva Kiir (2nd to Dr. John Garang of SPLM/A) urged them
to take courage. If they refused to go the process of peace
would end in failure. They told each other of their fathers
and fathers' fathers. They concluded that their ancestors had
taken risks for peace and some died, now it was their turn.
Their conclusion was to not send just three but to act boldly
and send five chiefs and one woman. The Nuer Chiefs also knew
if the Dinka did not go to Nuerland all would end in failure.
So they discussed how they could help their brothers. They
said they would be willing to leave behind one or two or even
for all of them to stay in Dinkaland as a guarantee that the
Dinka Chiefs would be safe. Then if the Dinka were killed in
Nuerland, the Nuer Chiefs could also be killed. All of this
was a process of building up great courage and putting down
deep roots of commitment. They were pledging their lives to
this process. In the end no Nuer stayed behind, but rather
they became the escorts of the Dinka.
- In Thiet, when the Nuer Chiefs got off the plane and were
greeted by the waiting Dinka Chiefs two chiefs stood out.
Chief Isaac of the Nuer and Chief Madut of the Dinka were the
enemies whose forces faced each other across the border at the
center. They went to each other, embraced, danced and
celebrated. In a parade through the market center with many
military forces keeping the crowds back these two warriors
walked with their arms around each other's shoulders and women
later spoke of their tears of joy that this meant that the
fighting must end.
- In Leer in Nuerland, again two bulls were sacrificed with
the same ritual of stepping over the covenant sacrifice. Then
powerful traditional dancing featured Chief Isaac and about 20
women with simulated fighting advancing and then retreating.
Then Chief Isaac pointed to each of the Dinka Chiefs in turn
and the women lifted the Chief above their heads and paraded
him around for the thousands in the crowds to see and cheer.
The woman, who is the young wife of elderly Chief Dhor Ariik,
was also lifted and carried around the crowds. Then the
Presbyterian and Catholic Church choirs sang songs. Rev.
George Riek (Presbyterian), who was leading the whole
ceremony, and a Deacon washed the feet of each of the Dinka
chiefs and the woman and washed the hands of the rest of us as
peacemakers. Speeches went on into the evening under a
beautiful grove of big trees with children filling the big
branches as they had climbed high to get a good view.
- Cmdr. Salva Kiir spent nearly two days meeting with us in
Dinkaland to work on all security issues. Stories were told of
him and we have found a warrior peacemaker at the highest
level. I told him that my family had also considered the risks
I was taking and they sent me for this peace even with the
risks. He said, "Bill, I guarantee your safety, as long as you
are in Dinkaland no one will harm you." He placed a special
company of soldiers to guard us. This was not because they
feared for our lives but we were told it was for two reasons.
This was the honor that should be given to heads of state, and
secondly, if they did not have the guards the crowds would
press in on us day and night and give us no rest. At night
heavily armed soldiers slept near, making their bedrolls a few
feet away and sentries kept watch in shifts through the night.
- In Leer it was nearly midnight after our arrival in
Nuerland and the festivities were over. Deborah came to my
place and woke me. She said, "Bill, you must get up and come
to eat!" I said, "Deborah, I am so tired and I am not hungry."
She responded, "If you do not come the Chiefs will be very
angry with you." Through my cloudy head it all began to make
sense. I said, "O yes, this is the shared feast of the bull
that was sacrificed and we must all eat of it." "Yes," she
said. So I had my midnight snack of entrails, trying to keep
to the liver which was more palatable at that time of night to
me than other organs. Sometimes the price of peace comes in
small bites!
The trip was not just highlights. There were real
difficulties. Clean water was difficult to get, one engine of
the plane failed on Sunday so we could not take off, we sat in
the terrible runway heat for nearly eight hours and then a
plane came only to get the pilots. Radio communications were
very limited. We were delayed one full day and worried that
the Nuer could conclude that their chiefs had been killed
because we could not get a message to them. However, God
prevailed. In Leer during the Sunday worship service a man
stood and said: "I had a dream last night. Our guest who are
coming are all well. But their plane has failed." So the
people prayed for us, were not alarmed when we did not come,
and then the elder who told me this story was completely
unsurprised when I told him that one of the two engines failed
while we were on the ground.
In spite of difficulties, of people who resist peace, and of
the tough terrain, the people on the ground, with so little
help from others are overcoming every obstacle. I believe they
will accomplish this thing which has captured their hearts and
hopes. All of them say, "This is of God." And I say, Amen!
William O. Lowrey, Ph.D.
NSCC Consultant and Peace Facilitator
Distributed by Sudan Infonet
An Information Service of the Sudan Working Group--USA
SudanInfonet@compuserve.com
Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/~SudanInfonet/
2/20/99
This material is being reposted for wider distribution by the
Africa Policy Information Center (APIC). APIC's primary
objective is to widen the policy debate in the United States
around African issues and the U.S. role in Africa, by
concentrating on providing accessible policy-relevant
information and analysis usable by a wide range of groups and
individuals.
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