The purpose of this message is to condemn some internecine violence and disputes which usually are triggered by quarreling over cattle, un-arranged girls marriage and disagreements over the land.
These traditional cultural practices had recently rekindled in Lare eastern Nuer homestead on the side of Ethiopia’s South Sudan boarder. The first one occurred this past year following a rape or sexual assault case.
The second incident occurred today as the result of an impregnated girl. Eyewitnesses indicated that, some local government officials had sided with their sectional members resembling stateless or segmentary lineage system where many uses to inflict pain during the absence of government or authority to make rules and enforce them.
Although there are norms that regulate individual’s behavior, these rules and regulations are maintained largely by consensus. When a rule or custom is violated, the victim or injured party take reprisal action to retaliate the wrong instigators had committed. Usually, there are provisions for resolving disputes and settling feuds.
Momentarily, those provisions could be enforced in order to control individuals who are victimizing innocent folks. Violators need to be punished severely so that, future instigators could remorse from committing similar crimes.
Now is the time for the local authority to act aggressively and began to prevent more clashes which might be triggered by quarreling over cattle, un-arranged girls marriages and disagreements over land issues. It’s horrible our kinsfolks are still butchering each other without mercy over above-mentioned practices.
Written and Prepared by Lul Gatkuoth Gatluak. Lul Is a contributor of the Gambella Vision. He can be concated via email lulgatluak09@gmail.com or lgatluak01@hamline.edu