Petition of Collo Women

H.E. President of the Government of Southern Sudan

Re: Petition of Collo Women on the Incidents of Anakdiar and Abanimo Areas

Collo Women have a recognized role in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed by the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) on the 9th of January 2005.

This was reflected in their activities that support the foundations of the agreement through conferences and workshops to promote Women in order to consolidate and implement the agreement within the context of a united Sudan. Upper Nile State has been and continues to be the symbol of national unity despite the civil war that raged for decades up to recently after the CPA was concluded.

The State enjoyed peaceful tribal coexistence and intermarriages between its tribes that qualified it to be an example in security and stability, a fact that helped push development to better heights for the welfare of its citizens. Unfortunately and to the dismay of any reasonable person hoping for the consolidation of national unity and the strengthening the ties and peaceful coexistence between the tribes in the State, some political elements who were motivated by personal motives managed to create conflict between tribes and planted the spirit of tribalism and regionalism. We, the collo Women would like to put before the President of the Government of Southern Sudan, State dignitaries, security organs and the organized forces ,the facts on the bloody incidents that took place on the 4th Anniversary of the CPA under leadership of the peace hero, the late struggler Dr.John Garang De Mabior. These facts are:

1. Leaflets were issued by elements from sections of the Dinka tribe; Ngok, Dingjol and Luac, claiming that areas east of the Sobat River and Malakal twon belong to them.

2. Threatening Collo citizens in their villages in these areas to evacuate them forthwith, otherwise they would be forcibly evacuated.

3. On the day of the 4th Anniversary of the CPA in Malakal town in the presence of the top leadership of the country in the persons of the President of the Republic, the First Vice President, Advisors and Ministers and the Collo leader H.M the Reth, confirmed reports were received by the Commissioner of Panyikang County that there were moves from elements of Ngok, Dingjol and Luac Dinkas to launch an armed attack on Collo Villages.

4. Indeed, an armed Dinka group from the section mentioned above attacked Anakdiar village that belongs to collo at 12:00 am on the 10th of Januaryn2009 and Abanim Village later on the same day. The unprovoked attack targeted unarmed citizens who were killed in cold blood in a way that reflected hatred and callousness.

5. The Collo lost twelve youth, elders and women in addition to the properties that were destroyed and the hundreds of citizens that were displaced and left homeless.

6. This behavior is devoid of the least human values and lead eventually to the loss of stability and peaceful coexistence between the tribes of the region which negatively affects the development, economic, social and political aspects, especially that we are heading towards a bigger challenge, the elections and referendum.

Your Excellency, Despite the deep wound that affected us, we the Collo Women reiterate and reaffirm our full commitment to the CPA and to your leadership under the banner of national unity. Yet, we have appeal to your Excellency to speed up the containment of this big threat to the security of the State and Sudan in general.

Your Excellency, In the name of The Collo Women, we strongly condemn these massacres the barbaric acts attempts to seize by force the rights of others by son of Ngok, Dingjol and Luac Dinkas and their claims over the ownership of lands. History is the best judge that Collo existed in these areas for centuries. Your Excellency, We as Women deeply deplore that the killings still continue, specifically, on Tuesday the 24th of Februar 2009 on incident took place in Malakal between Major General Tang and JIUs on the one hand and the SPLA on the other, resulting in the loss of innocent lives. The area continued to witness many battles from time to time. We are also terribly saddened that the citizens in Anakdiar killed in cold blood while going about with their normal lives.

Your Excellency, Our hope is great that your Excellency will look into this petition of ours and gives it the full consideration it deserves.We call for the following:

1. Payment of blood money and compensations for the lives and properties lost.

2. Provision of security in Collo villages

3. Beefing up the police forces in these areas.

4. Removal of the building which were built by the Dinkas in Collo areas

6. Demarcation of the borders of the State according the 1/1/1956 borders.

7. Holding a reconciliation and peaceful coexistence conference between the tribes in the region.

8. Documentation of the tribal areas and such documents be deposited with the authorities in the state so as to avoid conflicts.

9. Commitment to implement the order of the late Dr. John Garang dated October 2004 on the naming of thecounty as Makal County.

10. Establishment of mechanisms for peaceful coexistence in the targeted areas.

Collo Women