Engaging with the Monyomiji for peace east of Torit

26 Sep 2019

Engaging with the Monyomiji for peace east of Torit

Samira Yassmine Salifu/Filip Andersson

As the convoy of vehicles creeps along the tortuous, potholed and muddy roads, our brows furrow. Could they speak, they would have asked: “Shall we ever make it to the villages, or are weeks of meticulous planning potentially being washed down the imaginary drain?”

“We have already informed the community leaders of our arrival. We cannot go back until we meet them,” says Leah Chan, a civil affairs officer serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, ever attentive to the inquisitiveness of furrowed brows.

On this day, the destinations are the communities of Haforiere and Tirangore, to the east of Torit, Eastern Equatoria. They have been at odds with the villages of relatively nearby Imotong since 2006, resulting in intercommunal clashes and revenge killings, largely related to cattle raids.

“You know, in raiding death occurs. Because the owners of the cattle must go after the raiders…with arms. Once they kill, revenge killing follows. This has been the cycle,” explains Hakim Paride, a local.

Having ascertained the willingness of the people of Imotong to initiate new reconciliation talks, the team of UN peacekeepers is here to discuss the possibilities of such discussions with the residents of Haforiere and Tirangore.

Here, in their ancestral land, power is divided among the landlords (fetish priests in charge of land, aquatic life, mountains etc.), rainmakers (responsible for precipitation), chiefs (elected as government representatives), and the Monyomiji.

The latter is an executive decision-making body of ruling youth, with broad-ranging powers. Its members can declare a state of emergency and curfews, and institute social changes such as setting new dowry prices.

“When cattle [often used to pay dowries] are raided, even if I do not own cattle, I must join in the efforts to find them, because the Monyomiji believes in community ownership,” says Mr. Paride, who is a member of the Monyomiji, before delving deeper into local customs.

“To prove that you are a man, you need to kill. That way, during a traditional festival, you can proudly shout and say, ‘yes I am a man, I have also killed!’ It is not a good culture, but it is what it is,” laments Simon Oguak, a member of the Monyomiji who is accompanying the patrol team.

The Monyomiji, a traditional governance structure, is divided into four age groups, with boys and men ranging from 16 to 40 years old. To climb the career ladder, members must first serve for ten years as errand boys, with no say on decisions.

The eldest of the (relative) youth make up the mighty consulting group, the real top dogs of the community. Next year, Mr. Paride, who is also the executive director of the Union of Monyomiji, will be one of them.

Previous peace dialogues in the area have resulted in temporary, fragile tranquility, but violence has soon surged again, purportedly because of traditional attitudes and customs. Will the citizens of Haforiere and Tirangore be willing to hold new talks with their Imotong peers? Our team will find out once we reach them.

Initially, the problem is that we don’t. With about three kilometres remaining to our destination, the road becomes impassable. Fortunately, representatives of the communities agree to trek the distance to meet us nearby, at a dry patch.

A flurry of comments by our hosts soon make it clear that the answer is affirmative: they do want to repair relations with their traditional foes.

“These people [of the villages of Imotong] are our relatives - of course we want peace! Our health centre has no medicines and we don't have a school, but we know that if there is peace things will start changing,” says Michael Mujam Obel, a Haforiere chief.

“We have no problems with our neighbours. We are not part of the problem, but we still want peace in the area, so that everyone can use the common road,” adds Lauwuro Orom Oler, a Tirangore chief.

“One of our women, Imole, who intermarried, has been unable to see her family on the other side [Imotong] since the clashes begun. She does not know if her family members are dead or alive,” says Lafino, a member of the Monyomiji in Haforiere.

“Problems here begin with petty crimes. When criminals are either injured or killed, their families follow up to revenge. It is difficult,” says Edward Odong, a resident of Tirangore.

“Your intervention is our only hope,” Haforiere resident Tobio Ongiera believes.

“Peace is now like water to us, without it we have no hope,” Omari John, a Tirangore man concurs.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan continues to work with the communities and the Monyomiji to restore peace to the area. Harmonious relations become ever more important as the dry season approaches, and villagers from all communities involved will need to cross community boundaries for food supplies.