Impact of Sudan Civil War on the Anyuak

Part I: Impact of Sudan Civil War on the Anyuak

At the time when the second liberation struggle of South Sudanese broke out, their best area for military training and logistic is the Gambella region of Ethiopia. The first South Sudanese armed struggle against North Sudan from 1955-1972 and the second one was 1983-2005. The southerners struggle was to free themselves from Islamic beliefs imposed on them by the dominant Arab government and attempt to divert south Sudan’s Nile water resources to Egypt through an infamous project known as Jonglei Canal. Jonglei Canal digging was started in 1978 by a machine known as “Bucketwheel” that was brought in from Pakistan after completing 101 km canal there between the Indus and Jhelum rivers. Sudanese hydrologist Yahia Abdel Magid refurbished the Bucketwheel and brought it to Sudan. It was the world’s largest excavator weighing over 2,100 tons. The Bucketwheel has 12 giant buckets about 3 cubic meters each and hung on a circular wheel that measures 12.5 meters in diameter which dig earth and dump it onto a transmission belt, which deposit it on the bank. At a full speed, the Bucketwheel can excavate 2km a week but requires 10,000 gallons of gasoline per 24 hours (Dr. Tanya Furman and Dr. Laura Guertin) Professors of Geosciences at Pennsylvania State University.

 By 1983  the Bucketwheel had completed 180 km of 360-km and the machine was put to rest in peace after it was hit by a missile which neither north or south Sudanese army took responsibility. Had it was completed, it would have had good benefits to improve and increase  irrigation of farmland in both Sudan and Egypt however it could have had a catastrophic effect on the swampland environment, humans and the wildlife. The canal could have drained the swampland known as the Sudd by 36% reducing the wetlands that is needed for grazing and wildlife habitat. It was estimated that over two million people live in the area and their way of life could have been devastated.

 The southerners are predominantly Christians and traditional believers. Arab government failed to honor the first peace accord signed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 1972. Eleven years later the north came up with more strict Islamic laws. Jonglei Canal Project also anger the southerners which led to formation of Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLA).

"The Islamic  Arab agenda is the cause of the (civil) war and the cause of the suffering. It is a choice between slavery and freedom. What is life worth to be at peace when you are a slave in your own country? ---The engine which drives the war is injustice." Dr. John Garang.

SPLA was formed in Gambella, Ethiopia then started guerrilla warfare against the government of Islamic Arab Sudan. Due to this, there was major influx of south Sudanese to the Anyuak land including Gambella region. Kenya peace accord known as Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed in 2005 paved the way for South Sudan to succeed and it became world's newest country in July, 2011.

“Sudan cannot and will never be the same again as this peace agreement will engulf the country in democratic and fundamental transformation instead of being engulfed in was…If this does not work then we will have to look for other solutions. Such as a spirit in the country. But we believe that a new Sudan is possible, for there are many in the north who share with us…a belief in the universal ideals of humanity.” Dr. John Garang, Jan 9, 2005 when Signing CPA

I feel blessed to have lived the experience. I have witnessed masses of south Sudanese coming to the Anyuak land. They were exhausted, dying on roads/deserts of hunger, thirst and and heat waves. Before reaching to the Anyuak land, they were on constant attack by their fellow south Sudanese Murle and Nuer respectively. Reaching to the Anyuak land was like reaching to shore after swimming a sea full of killer sharks. A breathe of life at last.  It was world most catastrophic situation to imagine.

            The Anyuak being agriculturalists, they were able to provide food assistance and whatever they have to assist the refugees. They did it on their generosity and conscience. The Anyuak are known for their friendly and welcoming character. As time goes by, they got overwhelmed by numbers of refugees coming from Sudan. The number of refugees have exceeded 300,000 (Dr. Kwacakworo, 1993). Worse so, there were no screening centers at the border to assist the refugees before heading to refugee and military training camps in the deep inside of  the Gambella region.