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songs or rest in your own house thinking unacceptable. We should not refer our Following these unfortunate incidents
for continuous peaceful relationships government to specific tribes; rather in the words of the National Minister
with your creator,” said Fr. Lual. we should build confidence in our of Information Dr. Barnaba Marial
Referring to the killings in Wau a government,” he said. Benjamin, the governors of Warrap State
few days before Christmas Fr. Lual In December last year, there were deadly (Nyandeng Malek) and WBGS (Rizik
lamented: “It is a blessed day for us all. strikes and violence between civilians Zackaria Hassan) held a meeting in Wau
No evils should be made on Sunday. I and security personnel in Wau allegedly to calm the situation and foster peaceful
have never found citizens who march emanating from tribal division between coexistence. The meeting focused on
out on streets to strike on Sunday, not Dinka and other ethnic tribes in the providing and maintaining security to
even in Islamic states. This is a complete Western Bahr el Ghazal (WBGS) capital enhance peaceful coexistence between
isolation from God.” In order for peace in which about 26 innocent lives were the two states while helping to halt
to prevail in South Sudan, all the tribes lost. Also, nearly a quarter of the populace the civilians from fueling the tribalism

The Alleluyah dance children at St George Aweil on Christmas Day 2012. [Gurtong | Abraham Agoth]

in the new nation must refrain from was displaced to the neighbouring states in Western Bahr el Ghazal. The two
any tribal tendencies which according of Warrap, Western and Northern Bahr governors later held a public rally on
to Fr. Lual destroys natural love, peace el Ghazal for safety and temporary the Eastern Bank of Wau town where
and unity in any community. “There resettlement until the violence subsided. hundreds of angry youth from Warrap,
is no government where everybody The protests began in October following NBGS and WBGS had gathered to
claims to be the one in charge of the the state government’s decree ordering revenge the killing of their colleagues in
government; stop claiming or referring the relocation of Wau County adminis- Parajallah. Against such a backdrop, Fr.
to your government as a specific tribe trative headquarters to Bagari Payam Natale Baak, the Parish Priest in Aweil
such as Dinka, Shilluk, Nuer Zande, in Parajallah, 45 miles from the state and Fr. Lual called on the leaders of
Bari etc government. This is completely capital, Wau. South Sudan and Sudan to put aside

Gurtong Focus Monthly February 2013| 23