Statement by Leek community in Egypt condemning Min. Simon Mijok Mijak on his letter addressed to Ruweng Chief Administrator on our land

CAIRO – The Leek Community Association in the Arab Republic of Egypt on Wednesday issued a statement condemning a letter sent by South Sudan’s Minister of Road and Bridges asking the Chief Administrator of Ruweng Administrative Area to commence the opening of the border at Panyigay to Sudanese traders.

Below is the full statement of the Leek Community in Egypt.

Leek Community Association in Arab Republic of Egypt.

Chairman’s office

September 15, 2021.

Ref: Condemnation of the letter of Minister of Road and Bridges Hon. Simon Mijok Mijak to the Chief Administrator of Ruweng Administrative Area Hon. Peter Dau Chop Kuer on Panyigay area of Rubkona County

The Leek Community Association in The Arab Republic of Egypt do strongly condemns in the strongest terms possible the unjust letter addressed to chief administrator Hon. Peter Daau Chop Kuer of Ruweng by the minister of road and transport Hon. Simon Mijok Mijak to intentionally annex Payagay area of Rubkona County to Parieng County of Ruweng administrative area.

Panyigay has never been a part of Ruweng, it is historically a part of Leek land, it does not belong to Ruweng Administrative Area and it will never be for them.

Hon. Simon Mijok Mijak should have addressed the letter to Hon. Joseph Nguen Manytuil, the governor of Unity State-Bentiu who is the rightful person to open the border-trade between the Republic of South Sudan and Republic of Sudan through Karasana in Southern Kordofan State to Panyigay area of Unity State road, instead of addressing the letter to the chief administrator of RAA.

The title of the letter itself, which he stated as a “joint official declaration on the opening of the border between the Republic Of Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan on cross border trade” is an offends to the people of Unity State and to Leek inhabitants in particular. Leek community is therefore regarding Hon. Simon Mijok Mijak as a tribal national minister whose agenda in the ministry is to incite the two peaceful counties to go for unexpected war, in which, they will desperately regret.

His claim as acting national minister does not only jeopardize the social fabric between the peaceful communities of Rubkotna and Ruweng but also violates the constitution of the Republic of South Sudan which states that the land belongs to the people. The annexation by the acting minister is based on tribal mindset and does not necessarily represent order as official.

After the independence of South Sudan in 2011, the government incorporated into the constitution the article of land ownership which gave citizens the full right to the land ownership. However, this newly introduced law did not affect the pre-existing boundaries between the sisterly counties of Rubkona and Ruweng the formerly Parieng county. The government of South Sudan still uses the colonial boundaries of 1^st January 1956 up to date, and thus the people of Ruweng have no ground to claim the ownership of our ancestral land, the Panyagay area.

If there were to be amendments to the land ownership law then the government has to find a way to initiate that program. We cannot be victimized by the same government which we fought for.

We call upon the government to address the land issues as this may endanger the social fabric between these two sisterly counties.

Finally, my second advice to brothers and sisters from Ruweng is that please respect President Salva Kiir Mayardit with all your actions and thoughts as a President for all South Sudanese people, do not put him into hard situation because of tribal agenda.

If you (Ruweng) really mean to have your own administrative area as you claimed, please refrain from claiming what does not belong to you baselessly. Demanding for a separate Administrative Area/State should not be with claiming of the borders or land which are not yours, that is would be a serious mistake that will disturb your peaceful co-existence with your neighbors and that will eventually have regrettable results.

If you (Ruweng of Panaru) are still serious with your demand for separate Administration as it is now decreed by the President Salva Kiir last years, I suggest that a committee of fact finding be formed by the presidency from the national level with presence of the neutral members from other tribes in which cases chiefs and elders from both sides (Ruweng Dinka and Leek, Bul and Jikany Nuer) who know their border points well be called and lead the Committee to those common border points where the two community members (Nuer and Ruweng) convince themselves with evidents and facts.

Hence, the Committee will report back their findings to the two principles of the R-vitalized peace agreement will solve issue amicably with care once and for all. In this way, the two communities (Ruweng of Panaru and Nuer) remain peaceful neighbors for the rest of their lives in those areas. This is the real issue; you need to think twice.

Thanks

Gatjuol Daang Luak Teny,

Chairman, Leek Community Association in Arab Republic of Egypt.