By Deng Ghai Deng
The Minister of Information, Communication, Technology, and Postal Services, Michael Makuei Lueth, along with Presidential Senior Advisor Kuol Manyang Juuk, have successfully mediated a long-standing dispute in Konyang Payam, Bor County.
The visit comes two years after violent clashes in December 2017 and February 2018 left 49 people dead and numerous others injured. The disputes centred on the naming rights of a village along the Nile, with one faction advocating for the name “Panwel” and another for “Anuet.”
The inter-clan violence involved the Nyara clan against the Nyichak, Biong, and Mach-Ayiel clans, resulting in significant loss of life and property.
Makuei, who represents Bor County in the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA), stated that he, Kuol, and other government officials visited Konyang Payam on Sunday to address the community tensions that arose from a court ruling on land naming.
“We went to Bor County’s Kolnyang Payam yesterday (Sunday). You know very well that there was fighting 2 years ago in which they lost 49 people. We went after the decision of the court because the decision of the court has created problems. We talked to the population and the relatives of the victims, and we managed to bring the situation under control,” Makuei said.
The underlying issues reached a judicial resolution in May 2021 when a High Court in Bor found 78 defendants guilty of involvement in the violence.
Justice John Yel Aleu, presiding over the case, ruled that the area should be referred to as Abii, ordering compensation of 51 cows for each victim’s family, as per the South Sudan Penal Code.
The joint visit by Makuei and Kuol is seen as a crucial effort to mend relations within the community and prevent further violence. As leaders engage with the local population, hopes for a lasting peace and unity in Konyang Payam grow stronger.