By Adia Jildo
The youth of Murle community in Juba have condemned the act of defaming them citing accusation of several incidences of raids, attacks that lead to death and abduction alleged to Murle armed youth.
The chairperson of Murle Youth Association in South Sudan David Ngiro Yangkon said the act is defaming as no prove had been given against them in relation to the allegations.
“There is no evidence which proves that someone has been captured and adducted by the Murle people or person. People have taken that advantage whatever has been said is believed,” he continued. “It was not our youth who attacked the Dinka Bor people in Nimule; we don’t have any means to reach Nimule”. He said they had previously chosen to remain silent whenever accused of attacking other communities because they don’t want to provoke the situation.
David cited that acts of attack, abductions should not be made on a tribal basis but a criminal offence that needs action to be taken against with evidence or proves.
“These are criminal acts committed by some youths. It’s all over South Sudan that attacks happen. There are some communities that are abducting children and are blaming it on the Murle tribe,” David stressed. “Some communities are abducting or selling their children just to tarnish the image of the Murle,” he added.
The Murle Community Youth leader cited that a false report stated that a Murle had abducted two children when it was a father who had wanted to sell his children.
“Last year a man brought two children, they were captured but the report showed that the Murle were the ones who abducted the two children in Shirkat when it was their father that did this,” he noted.
David however said attacks among communities are true whereas should not be blamed on the Murle community but an individual that has done it.
“Some are not true, while some are true. It’s not only Murle who are involved in criminal activities. And we cannot deny but it should be about an individual involved in the crime not a community,” he said.
“People have taken advantage of the community that has taken place among themselves to act against the Murle community. Nobody has been captured, arrested of tangible evidence,” he said.