South Sudan Warrap reaffirms Messeriya access to grazing lands

By Ngor Arol Garang
July 27, 2009 (ABYEI) — Warrap state government today reassured Meseriya that they have access to grazing lands during dry season, but asked them to disarm their members, a state official said.
After the ruling of the Abyei Arbitration court, the Misseriya nomadic Arabs expressed fears that they could be prevented from access to grazing land and blamed Khartoum for their troubles with southern Sudan tribes.
Yesterday Misseriya paramount chief in a letter read in Abyei told the Dinka Ngok they accept the arbitration award and urged to not abandon ancestral relations saying “Land is not important. What is important is human relationship,” the letter stated.
Speaking to reporters at Abyei local council, General Garang Mabil Nyok, Warrap State security advisor, said that the state government and her citizens particularly Twic County which share border with Misseriya ,do not have any bone to pick with Arab tribes to prevent them from coming with their cattle to graze during the dry seasons.
“They are welcomed provided that they do not carry arms into our territories,” he said. However, he was quick to add that he is not in any way saying Messeriya should not carry arms but into state territory.
“They can carry them on their way to our territory particularly where and when they feel their cattle could be snatched away by criminals but once they are in areas under government control, they have two choices, give their guns to someone among them returning north or accept them be kept at the territorial entry point where a police would be responsible to keep arms till when they are returning,” he explained.
General Mabil said Warrap and Northern Bahr El Ghazal State have been allowing Misseriya pastoralists enter their grazing lands even during war period.
However he said they do not respect or this hospitality and accused them of committing atrocities . They come good and return bad burning villages, killing, abducting our children and women. Above these, they loot all our properties as they return.” “This had been happening and we did allow them return when they send another request,” he adds.
“Our being quiet and readiness to allow them come next time does not mean that we do not feel negative about their acts but to tell them we are good neighbors, a neighbor has to exercise more patience and accept reconciliation when necessary,” he stressed. He therefore requested Misseriya to revise their acts if at all they need to resume ancestral ties with their neighbors, he concluded.
(ST)