Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Elites from the Mundari community have denied any involvement in the intercommunal fight pitting the members of the Mundari communities against each other.
Wani Buyu, who spoke on half of the leaders, said people are accusing him and the former governor of defunct Terekeka State, Juma Ali Malou, of instigating the conflict in the cattle camps. He claimed his disputes with Juma were personal and should not be linked to the community’s conflicts, as has been assumed.
“People who do not comprehend his problem with Juma Ali Malou [and they want] to make it huge that our conflict with Juma Ali is the cause of Mundari’s fights in the livestock camps,” Buyu said.
“That is not true, I don’t have a hand in this conflict in any way,” he refuted.
Buyu was delegated by the chairperson of the Mundari Community, Clement Wani, to speak on his behalf and on behalf of the three-day church leader’s peace initiative conference held in Juba last week.
He cautioned that anyone should not go to all the payams of Terekeka County to spread false information to the public that the Mundari issue is between him and Juma. He warned that whoever does so would be held accountable. Buyu advised the Mundari not to listen to such false allegations.
“If someone from Tali or Kabura says, ‘I have a hand in this fight. Let him or her raise his hand. That was not my intention. My beef with Juma is personal, as it is with everybody else who has a beef with their brother. This cannot be linked to the Mundari war, ” he clarified.
Buyu accused the Central Equatoria State government of failing to address the conflict between him and Juma even after Juma accused him before the deputy governor of being a part of those inciting the Mundari community to fight.
He claimed Juma accused him of stirring conflict among the Mundari community during a meeting recently chaired by Deputy Governor, Sarah Nene, for them to go to all the cattle camps in Terekeka County, where there were clashes.
“I told the deputy governor that what he said was not good. She assured me that she would ask Juma to recant his statement, but he stated he had retracted it but could not apologise. Now, how can you withdraw your statement without apology?’’ Wani asked.
In her final remarks, Sarah Nene urged the church leaders in charge of the Mundari community’s reconciliation process to also reconcile the Mundari’s two opposing leaders, Buyu and Juma.
“If you want to bring people together, you must sit them and forgiveness must come from the heart, not merely by shaking hands.
“Yes, they may exchange greetings, but reconciliation can never take place if the actual issue is not resolved,” she emphasized.
Bishop Paul Yugusuk, the chairperson of the church leaders’ peace initiative, tried to get Juma and Wani to walk in front and greet each other as a show of reconciliation, Juma declined.
Buyu was enraged as he delivered his remarks, accusing the partners who backed the peace conference of making statements about him He then said he had forgiven them due to “influence” from those who sought to smear their reputations.
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