Kiir says Dinka, Nuer are currently ‘most peaceful’ tribes in South Sudan

JUBA – President Salva Kiir Mayardit has said that the Dinka and Nuer people of South Sudan who are on the epicenter of the country’s first civil war that has killed around half a million people are now the most peaceful people in the country.

“They are the most peaceful people now. My village borders the Nuer of Riek Machar himself because he comes from Unity state [and] I comes from Warrap. These are the two neighboring states and we don’t have any problem,” Kiir said during an interview with Kenyan journalist Jeff Koinange aired on Wednesday evening.

“The crimes are everywhere that’s why a criminal from the Nuer can cross the border to come and commit any crime that he wants to commit either by taking cows or killing people. The same thing can be done by Dinka men from Warrap or from any state of Dinka and can cross to Nuer district and then commit whatever crime he wants to commit. So, it is something natural even in Kenya I believe it is there,” he added.

Kiir was addressing a question by the Kenyan journalist on why he has been asking for sanctions relief when the killing and tensions especially between the Dinka and the Nuer are running high. The South Sudanese president then went on to blame the sanctions and arms embargo for the ongoing economic setbacks in the country.

“The sanctions on South Sudan have made us poor although we believe we are rich. But, all the punishment labeled on us did not allowed us to prosper the way we had wanted this is why we are not celebrating the tenth anniversary the way people would have wanted to be,” he said.

On why there is no independence day celebration, President Kiir said the people of South Sudan “are hungry and whatever resources that we have can’t be mobilized for the celebrations. That will disappoint our people.”