Part II. Impact of Sudan Civil War on the Anyuak

From May 1983, the numbers of refugees grew rapidly, and by the end of 1987, four camps had been established in Gambella region alone according to International Institute for Strategic Studies (1988-1989). These were related to SPLA bases and training centers.

The main refugee camps and SPLA centers were:

●     Itang, situated about 30 k.m. west of Gambella town, and about 50 k.m. from Sudan border, it was first place where soldiers were brought when they crossed to Ethiopia in May/June 1983 and it was where the SPLA/M was first constituted. An official refugee camp was established there until all the camps were evacuated in May/June 1991 with a population estimated to be between 100,000- 250,000.

●     Bilpam, about 40 k.m. south-west of Itang. In May 1983, it was already the base of the Anyanya II guerrillas but later SPLA/M chased out those who did not want to join SPLA. Bilpam became the headquarters of the SPLA and site for military training.

●     Bonga which is about 40 k.m east of Gambella town, is the site of an Ethiopian military training school and it was shared by SPLA. SPLA managed its own section and was allowed to administer its own internal discipline there on its own authority.

●     Zinc training center, near Gambella town. It was an Ethiopian training center signalers, intelligence work and ideological instruction and it was also shared with the SPLA. It was attached to a barracks. Senior officers of the SPLA would sometimes stay there of security reason.

●     Dima on Akobo river is about 100 k.m. south-east of Pinyudo and 100 k.m. north east of Boma, S. Sudan. A refugee camp was established there in August 1986, when the official number of Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia had topped the 100,000 mark.

●     Pinyudo was, about 100 k.m. south of Gambella town, 74 and 54 k.m. north-east of the order town of Pochalla. A refugee camp was opened there in December 1987, to relieve the pressure on Itang after the influx in the middle of that year.

            Dr. Kwacakworo stated that the Anyuak did not have joy for the new movement perhaps they did not live near Arab where they experience oppression or did not get any reward from the regional government after supporting the previous South Sudanese armed struggle called Anyanya one. The Anyuak had a high ranking commander Joseph Otieo Akwon in Anyanya one who was a general command of Upper Nile region. Otieo was assassinated by his own fellow S. Sudanese forces under the leadership of Joseph Lagu after refusing to sign Addis Ababa peace accord in part he saw it as a flaw not a lasting solution to the Southerner's injustice. Joseph Lagu was the head of the Anyanya one. It was believed that Lagu was bribed by the Arab government to assassinate Otieo for the south Sudanese struggle to disintegrate. Indeed, things did fall apart after the peace agreement was signed in 1972.