A Quick Response to Pagak Nyier’s Distortive article:  About Rampant Ethnic Tension in Gambella Region

By Gnll Paagn
Ethiopian News, Tigrai Online, March 6, 2016

This should not be treated as a retort article on behalf of the buoyant mercenary Obang Metho who makes lives in such schemes as Pagak Nyier avowed but solely to dismiss his mendacious assertion on the genesis of present internecine conflict.  The acquisitive will speak for himself.   I am not his supporter anyway.   I was not in a position to response to this futile article until I found it funny a night before when I watch Nuer Youth Association in Ethiopian on ESAT swaying the flag of South Sudan in the air objecting the assignment of James Morgan as South Sudan ambassador to Ethiopia, who they accuse to have connection with Ethiopian Periotic Party led by Thwath Pal Chay.   What Pagak has to make up about this now when he already denied I quote, ‘’ The Nuer people of Ethiopia are not dumb enough….’’ to raise the flag of South Sudan in Ethiopian territory.  

Pagak pilloried his counterpart Obang Metho for predilections on the agenda when he himself purports to be impartial to address his reader.   In his delineation, he deliberately expunged the involvement SPLA-IO and its levied incendiary white Army who on its behalf does filthy both in Ethiopia and South Sudan.   He expeditiously bent on calling his opponent ‘’a jealous’’ of development activities from nowhere perhaps just to captivate his readers with good governance of the incumbent hail from Nuer like him, in attempt to divert attention.   Obviously, his opponent, the famous demagogue expressed some valid points on the issue though he blended with bigotries.

Once again this article is not riposte or to discredit development endeavors of the incumbent relayed by his predecessors.    But Pagak should know that when citizens died in vain in town like that in the hands of foreigner invaders is a serious leadership failure.  Therefore reigning has lost it all.

In fact such bogus and weak assertion can only evince mendacity and hypocrisy of the aspirant itself.  Having said that, I am spurning all his viewpoints but only to highlight his few mistakes and to point out that we the true citizens of Gambella – Anyuak, Majang, Komo, Nuer, and Opuo - have a serious complex problem inflicted by those claim Ethiopian citizenship in disguise for which we need profound and pragmatic approach to resolve it.   Specious arguments and spurious claims can solely exacerbate it.   Accommodating our mistakes, respecting our differences, and having good conscience are the things aid our trust  building that contribute to our strength and are in the package of first phase.  

Certainly, we have too much wounds to bandage so that we should be good First Aiders before the doctor come.   In a nut shell, I am caveating taunting, deterrent languages, substantially falsehood in attempt to remold our history to avoid another further redundant violent.

Dear reader, many scholars and researcher agree that the nub of current conflict lies in immemorial sporadic competitions over leas that very much hold interest of elites of Nuer who politicize.   Wherefore it has now become a hell-bent territorial expansion, grapple for ethnocentrism and lust for more pasturages to possess by pushing the Anyuak.  Zeray Hailemariam wrote an explicit and more perspicuous research based article about on this, (Understanding the root causes of the crisis in Gambella: challenges and solutions).     

Even if the assertion of my benevolent brother Pagak Nyier fall short to highlight the root cause of prevailing conflict, I agree with the part that he indicated:   the killing of pregnant Anyuak woman by Nuer man and then assailant with one of his relatives by the woman’s husband.    But he deliberately omitted the incitement of White Army lest criticism.

Reliable sources indicates that, the man who killed a pregnant woman was a member White Army from the outset.  Thence killing of two Nuers in revenge preceded two times destruction of five Anyuak villages by the squads of the very pitiless army in fierce reprisal attack.

Some months later, while the Anyuaks yet poignant of what had befallen to their community, there came College Assistant Dean an infamous Nuer shoot unarmed Anyuak driver in the arm over land plot feud.   The driver had records of land ownership while the assistant dean merely relay on use of force.  This truculent dean assistant is a well-known tribalst who always incite conflict in campus in favor of his ethnic despite his work ethic.  The victim who fully recovered was hospitalized.   The shooter was incarcerated.

Thereafter, the fiend Nuer students ludicrously pestered and unsuccessfully demanded his immediate release and seek resort by provoking angry Anyuak students.    Consequently, fight broke out in campus.    

Regrettably, two girls from Nuer were severely beaten, one of them died in the hospital later; student left the compound.    Then Nuer was on high alert seeking any excuse to instigate carnage in revenge.   Not the Anyuak students seek revenge at this point but evinced some disdain.  When students were told to go back to campus, Nuer students already prepared themselves by setting bomb in the area or nearby where the Anyuak student usually socialize on the advice of inane commander of SPLA-IO who was in Gambella town that time.  Thank God no life lost!  

Thus,   the fatuous of Pagak Nyier’s that Anyuak student throw hand grenade is definitely absurd.   The next day a well-equipped squad of SPLA-IO perversely rampaged Gambella town notably Omininga area where they killed three Anyuaks, destroyed and looted homes and hurled a hand grenade again at one family.   This really upset Anuak youth whose anger pervade throughout the region that ensued the assassination of high-ranking regional office in Abobo.    

A day after this episode of feud, the same squad of SPLA-IO forced the release of the Dean and others when it storm Gambella town police station with machine guns and killed about eleven.  Eight of them were all Anuaks.  The rest of them were highlanders and Majang.   No Nuer even injured but were all forcefully released.    Not too long after that, another incident of Abobo took place at police station and in Jor Woreda.

Reader, this is the genesis of existing conflict in which obdurate Nuers insisted on vengeance.   It is an awfully contentious issue that bumptious Pagak jest about and blatantly spreading erroneous statement

Furthermore, he shamelessly and deliriously denied that prisoner fought themselves, some Nuers also died as if none was watching them while on that open action.  Who can accept this white lies?     

Finally, the contemporaneous problem in Gambella region is neither inflected nor influenced by members of the weak and pariah Gibot 7.  It is the tendency of territorial expansion and ethnocentrism promoted by ineptitude of regional leaders who presumptuously polarized citizens.  But my dread is mutinies that will sometimes soon be levied by Patriotic Party of Thawath Pal Chay and Ginbot 7 itself if careful attention is taken.

In conclusion, Pagak can rodomontade as imperious war emissary and incriminate Anyuak who is in a quandary and pickle since he has SPLA-IO and White Army stand firm at his back.   Such a boastful talk is tantamount to the saying, ‘’a bullet missed you, now pay the bullet.’’  We the true citizens of Gambella lament for safety our people every day.  I am sure things will get better one day just a matter of good leadership.   We all ponder the questions why the leadership of Gatluak took too long to that extend to quell it? And why Nuer student demand the release of criminal?       

Gnll Paagn Can be reach at: gniipaan@gmail.com