S. Sudan: 3,000 Lou Nuer flee to Ulang, Upper Nile state, from Akobo county, Jonglei state

From Sudan Radio Service, Friday, 03 July 2009:
Three Thousand Refugees Flee to Ulang from Akobo County

(Ulang,Upper Nile state) – The commissioner of Ulang county, Upper Nile state, James Duer Chol, says that 3,000 displaced people have come to Ulang from neighboring Akobo county in Jonglei state in the past week.

Speaking to Sudan Radio Service on Thursday, Duer said that the displaced Lou Nuer are scared of attacks by the Murle community during the rainy season.

[James Duer Chol]: “The situation has been good here recently, but in the past week, large numbers of Lou Nuer arrived here, fleeing drought and problems between Lou Nuer and Murle. A committee from Ulang community has been formed to know who the cattle rustlers in the area are. But for the time being the situation is difficult because of the presence of these displaced people. I have met with the government of Upper Nile State and Government of southern Sudan asking them to help these displaced people.”

Duer called upon international humanitarian organizations and their governments to intervene and assist the IDPs.

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Murle

SUDAN BOYS by Artist Rob Rooker. Young Murle boys standing together. Often, when visitors arrive in a village in southern Sudan, the children are always the first to come and investigate what is going on. 

Nuer

APPREHENSION by Artist Rob Rooker. Painted on a wall in Maridi, Sudan. The image is of a young Nuer boy looking up among a crowd of people.

Rob Rooker - Profile
Nationality: US
Currently Living: Juba, Sudan and Nairobi, Kenya
Website: www.robrooker.com

Rob Rooker has lived in Southern Sudan and Kenya since 2001. He has been painting for the last ten years and has been drawing since he was a young child. He grew up in Texas and worked as a graphic designer until he volunteered as a logistician with a humanitarian agency in Southern Sudan. His inclination is to paint people and faces. He has documented images of Southern Sudan during a difficult political and socio-economic era. He demonstrates the use of shades of monochromatic color and his technique and style are quite unique.

Cards & prints available at Imagekind.com

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UPDATE:  From Sudan Radio Service, Monday, 06 July 2009:
IDP Situation Worsens in Jonglei State

(Bor) – The newly-appointed commissioner of Akobo County says the humanitarian situation of thousands of displaced people in Akobo County in Jonglei state is worsening.

Goy Jock Yol spoke to Sudan Radio Service on Monday by phone from Bor.

[Goy Jock Yol]: “The situation of IDPs in Akobo is really precarious after the fighting between Murle and Lou in March and April. Thousands of people were displaced, mostly to Akobo. And then the attack on the barges in Nasir that happened in May exacerbated the situation and I am thankful that the UN took up the lead in providing food. But we still have a lot of challenges. We need to bring these communities together, although there is still rampant looting of cattle between Jikany and Lou and between Lou and Murle.”

The Commissioner said that the late arrival of the rains has complicated the situation in the area.

[Goy Jock Yol]: “The other thing that is really exacerbating the situation is the delay of the rains. Up to now people have not planted around Akobo and this has resulted in more people with cattle moving toward Sobat and that would answer why we have more Lou population around Nyading River and the Ulang area. But I would like to inform you that the new commissioner of Ulang has started as a good gesture to accommodate the Lou families around that river and I am in constant communication with him to provide security along the corridor so that people live in harmony and peace.”

Yol said that his priority will be to reconcile the neighboring communities.

[Goy Jock Yol]: “I would like to go to Akobo very soon. The first thing I would like to do is to go in and meet the chiefs so that we initiate a low level dialogue between Jikany and Lou. The main issue between them is not mainly cattle rustling but it’s the revenge killings that happened earlier this year. I believe in sitting down and talking about the issues. Then we can open the humanitarian corridor of Sobat so that we get some more food to Akobo. Right now, the community of Akobo is really in need of goods from Ethiopia and Nasir. But also we have realized that these communities were living together once and they have shown that they would like to sit down and talk about these issues.”

The Commissioner said that currently he is lobbying for deployment of more police to Akobo.