By: Cde. Mabior Garang
The intellectual mercenaries of the Luak Ltd have decided to project their myopic views and claim that the term “Luak Ltd” is tribal. This is not true. It is just a smokescreen to conceal the true political agenda of the enemy within; surrender. The Luak Ltd is a multinational South Sudanese political enterprise which has hijacked the peoples’ Movement – the SPLM/SPLA (IO).
The Luak Ltd is akin to the Jieng Council of Elders (JCE), which has nothing to do with the Jieng as a cultural identity.
In a similar way to the JCE’s use of the tragic events of 1991 to cling to power and our National wealth, the Luak Ltd are cashing in – as it were – on the tragic events of 2013. As we commemorate the tragic events of December 15, 2013, it is my sincere hope that the victims of both the 1991 and 2013 massacres can see the game being played by the traditional elite in our land.
To return to the point of the Luak, the story originated as a way to describe the genesis of the SPLM/SPLA (IO). It was a story which also described the tragic events of the day we are observing today. Among the cattle keeping Nilo-Saharan speaking peoples, an unfinished Luak is a place in which people seek shelter from a storm.
When the storm subsides, everyone goes back to where they came from. The storm and the dark clouds are the events of December 2013 and the Luak is the SPLM/SPLA (IO). What does this have to do with tribalism except for the projection of tribalism itself? In the Luak Ltd, there are Dinka from Bor and Dinka from Bahr-el-Gazal; there are also people from the various communities of Equatoria. It is basically a clique.
As we honour the memory of our innocent citizens who were slain in cold blood on this day 7 years ago, let us wake up and recognise the game which is being played on us. In past years, the events of 2013 would start to be remembered from December 1st but this year the Movement has been eerily silent.
When it served their vested interest, we saw the traditional elite make noise about the events of 2013 while their counterparts shouted “91!”. In both instances, these people do not really care about the victims of these events who are all South Sudanese. I call on all the victims of intercommunal violence in our land to unite so that we can work on the tedious task of peace building.
A luta continua!