Governor Lobong: His nature that we didn’t know before Apr. 27Featured, Uncategorized7 comments
BY: Kabarika Loliha Lokang, Dallas, TEXAS, USA, APR/27/2013, SSN; The Election of Lobong to the Governorship of Eastern Equatoria State a few years ago was viewed with a lot of skepticism given his attitude toward other neighboring tribes. Though he had never expressed his ill-motives against the long-time foes of his Toposa tribe such as the Didinga, Buya and other tribes surrounding the greater Kapoeta area, there was no doubt in many people’s minds that time will come when Lobong will reveal his hidden agenda to enact punishment on our people, especially the Didinga. Lobong’s hatred toward the Didinga people is well documented and everybody around those great hills and Mountains of Budiland knows it. The Budi people at large have suffered in the hands of Louis Lobong either directly or indirectly. Sending of the National army (SPLA) with an order to capture, kill, loot or terrorize is something beyond the governorship’s power, because the Army were used just as messengers to carry an order. Lobong must be held accountable for the loss of innocent lives of children, aged and civil servants who were killed in cold blood by the SPLA Juntas. The army is to protect civilians against foreign invasion while the police are there to deal with domestic crimes. But Lobong and his gangsters view it differently. According to the Presidential decree that recently relieved the few governors including Louis Lobong from Military ranks and active duties, I wonder what power did Lobong use in order to command 1300 active SPLA soldiers to raid the villages of Lorema and Kikilai? Didn’t the presidential decree prohibit relieved governors from commanding army for any given reason without first consulting with the President should the situation gets beyond state police reach? Obviously Lobong used the post he has at the moment to suppress and intimidate his opponents. Sending in heavily loaded military personnel to scotch the population of Lorema and Kikilai people was a crime against Humanity. This incident didn’t just happen by itself, it’s my understanding that it was systematically planned long time. However, because there was no excuse to conduct the operation earlier, the raid of Bira Community by few non-law abiding of Budi provided the opportunity that led to this indiscriminate firing squad of the Lorema and Kikilai peace loving civilians. Innocent people lost lives and their precious properties and belongings through this in-discriminatory act by the SPLA forces. What was the real connection between the School that was burned to ashes and the raiding of the Bira community property? What connection was there between the Killing of innocent Children and the Health professional personnel with the cattle raid in the Neighboring community? These people in the lowland part of Didinga land are the very innocent community that the Lobong puppets should have visited the least. The cattle rustlers don’t live in the health clinic or dispensaries, they don’t live or stay in the school either. The real criminals that caused atrocity with our neighboring community of Bira might be hiding up in the Mountains. Because Governor Lobong and his goons could not have the guts to put the law in good practice by pursuing those responsible in killing of Bira community people. The act by those few Didinga youth is condemned by everybody. It’s inhuman, it’s criminal to continue doing this act of raiding peoples’ property and belonging, whether the perpetrators are the Buyas, the Didingas, the Langos or Toposas, anyone found red-handed should be subjected to the highest law available in the country. It’s very clear that the governor’s intention was to use the opportunity created by few bad elements in Budi county to bring down the people of Budi to their knees. This isn’t his first time to order the massacre of innocent People of Budi. The massacre of 54 innocent children, young and old people in Lauro few years ago has all the fingers pointing to Mr Lobong. Unless the law possibly consider Lobong as a person of interest in orchestration of tribal conflict around the greater Kapoeta, no one may live peacefully there. Lobong is a lowly criminal governor. His hatred toward the people of Budi is undeniable. If using SPLA soldiers to bring havoc to Budi people is not subjected to the thorough investigation, a lot of the same tactics will again catch others by surprise sooner or later. This the same Lobong who in the past allegedly used his tribal militia of “Namorunyang” to cause a lot of havoc to the people of Tala, Ngauro/Lauro, and Lotukei. Now, after his advancement in power did he use the National military to suppress his opponents. The case of Lorema and Kikilai was never about the raiding of Bira and Lotome communities, it’s a well rooted grudge that he, Lobong, has been holding toward the people of Budi. It was only a matter of time before Lobong showed his true colors. What a pathetic shame! Knowing what he was up to, Lobong has never conceded and accepted the mistake he legally ordered to be executed. Lobong has never bowed down to the criticism he received from many local leaders and the Media at large. Only to say that it was his bodyguards ordered to retrieve back the stolen cattle was merely his typical nature of perpetual denial. Having said that, the governor and those connected with this high level barbaric crime have forgotten what the law is supposed to do. Instead of implementing the Law to capture the culprits, they instead reversed the true meaning of the law by putting the law into their own hands. They judged from the very spot the order was given to do as they wish upon arriving in the targeted areas of Lorema and Kikilai. The governor and his like should have known better. When the blood of innocent children and Health professionals spilled without a clear reason, those responsible for these atrocities must be held accountable for their dirty actions. As far as cattle rustling is concerned, the Didinga are not the only ruthless tribe that conducted this illegal operation. The entire region surrounding the greater Kapoeta is full of Cattle rustlers. Because Lobong’s government doesn’t play a major role in tackling these issues beginning from his court-yard, the rest of the tribes are allowed to do as they wish. I don’t condone this sinful act of illegally stealing somebody’s property for your personal gains. Be it the Didinga, the Buya, Toposa or any tribes, the act of raiding and stealing cattle from other tribes is a great crime that should be punished by any law present in the Country. The government should lead by a good example but not sowing the seeds of hatred as Lobong’s administration has just revealed. If the government cannot differentiate between law abiding citizens and the wrongdoers, the the whole of South Sudan is in dire need of awaking up. None of us perceives this evil act of stealing cattle as a legitimate profession, but a cheap and cowardly means of robbing people their hard-earned property. I don’t care whether the person stealing is from Didinga, Buya, Lango or Toposa, those caught red-handed must be punished by the ultimate law of the land that’s available. By learning from our mistakes, we should chose to do what is right in our community. Our warring tribes need peace-building seminars to teach them the importance of the laws and the great advantages of interdependence, but not the ugliness and mightiness of the law that suppresses the lives of our people. Laws available have to be put into action to curb down this ill motive of cattle rustling. END << Older 7 Comments Choromke Jas April 27, 2013 at 7:06 pm Brother, as you rightly said, nothing of that magnitude happens just like that; there must be a conspiracy to punish the people of Didinga for some past “crimes”. I can offer some explanations by way of questions. Who did Lorot Peter kill during the war? Was the dead from among the ruling gang now in Juba? Was Lobong doing this to please his boss because of the recent accusations labelled against him for harboring rebels? Killing the enemy (the Dindinga) of the boss is a sure way of gaining favor. You should know that some people in South Sudan believe in revenge even 100 years after the event. To me, the Didinga people have seen nothing yet as a punishment for Lorot’s action in the past. It pains me to see the MPs from the area wringing their hands and still appealing to the rule of law to address the recent massacre in Didinga. There is no rule of law in this country. Ask the Zande about their 10 policemen or the Bari about their civilians cut down in Gudelle, Juba, or the Kakwa on the current illegal detention of their chiefs, etc. There is a way out though. If the gang in the government is unwilling to punish people like Lobong, one can approach the International Criminal Court to investigate this and other related massacres in the South. Failing that, may be Lorot and others can emulate David Yau Yau by coming down from Khartoum to protect their people. The impunity in this country must be stopped. Reply Tongun Lo Loyuong April 27, 2013 at 8:44 pm A standing ovation, a wonderful and powerful piece, thanks, Mr. Lokang. Reply Dan April 27, 2013 at 10:40 pm A tribe that allows the so called criminals to go and rustle cattle from other tribes and allow the stolen cattle to be kept in their community without alerting the authorities about the crime should not complain too much if heavy handedness like what Governor Lobong has done descended upon their community. I wish we have two other Governors in Jonglei and Lake states like Louis Lobong. We can never build any country with this primitive attitude. Keep it up, Lobong, if at all that decision of ordering the security forces to chase and discipline the criminals was entirely yours. As a nation, we must do everything to eradicate child abduction, cattle rustling and any willful killing of innocent people. Reply Dau-network April 28, 2013 at 3:31 am Killing of armed-civilians is not a crime even here in America because it’s an act of defense. if you are civilian, then lay down your gun when the soldiers approach the area to prevent aggression. If the criminals use their children and women as a shelter while they are shooting the nation’s policemen and soldiers, then what do you expect can happen? These criminals should stop the cattle raiding to avoid that in future. The raiders killed a policeman and other security staff day before their claimed armed civilians have been killed. Lobong is a good governor and before CPA, he neutralized most raiders community Toposa to be peaceful people. Americans soldiers in Pakistan and Iraq, when the criminals or terrorists used their women as shelters the same with didinga, Americans soldiers realized it and used any force they have. To avoid such tragic outcome, communities should have to point their fingers direct to culprits within the circle community. An Egyptian proverb says, “when the dog bites you and you don’t bite back, he think that you have no teeth.” Reply Abei Peter April 28, 2013 at 6:54 am If every elected leader is avenging what happened in the past, then the country will have no inhabitants in 1000 yrs to come. Stop blaming the leaders and vote wisely in 2015. Reply Eastern April 28, 2013 at 7:09 am Dan, you and your like-minded should know that heavy handedness is not the correct solution to this cattle raiding mayhem bedeviling South Sudan. Soon we shall have a South Sudanese ‘leader’ indicted by The Hague based court. South Sudan is already in a state of war!!! There are rebels hitting soft spots in the country. The recent attack on the lifeline of the country near Nesitu outside Juba should be an eye opener. There is problem in the country!! Reply Chief Abiko! April 28, 2013 at 6:23 pm Dear Kabarika Lohiha Lokang: You’re condemning Governor Louis Lobong for action he had taken against the THUGS, THIEVES, CATTLE RAIDERS of Didinga people. The authorities are always well trained and well disciplined. They do not act for nothing without clear reasons on people. Bear in mind that those who were killed by authorities at those villages, they might have been having a problem with the soldiers in the beginning. You have to understand first what was going on instead of rushing to rebuking the Governor Louis Lobong on his action he had taken against the thieves in Didinga. FOR ME NO CLEMENCY FOR CATTLE THIEVES IN FRONT OF GOD! I wish him the governor Louis Lobong to do more on cattle thieves everywhere in the state, EES, Torit. God bless him much! -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. 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