Nyamlell: Father Michael Barton's Sudan mission: Security based on African justice

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Security based on African justice

St. Mary Makuei Catholic Chapel
Comboni School,Makuei(ANC) Northern Bahr El Ghazal State South Sudan
March 31st 2010

Reported by the head catechist
Zachariah Noon Ajongi
Makuei Centre
Corrected by the head Catechist
John G. Garang Nyamlell
Dear Fr. Michael D. Barton,
St Teresa Parish, Nyamlell

I submit warm greetings to you and our sisters and all people who are working with you in the mission.

I am sending you this information which happened almost 3 months ago in January. This problem caused seven people to lose their lives in a day attack.
It happened,when SPLA soldier named Mabior Kuol Kuom whose cows had been robbed by Bagara (Arabs) a year before in Dheen (Southern Darfur State). These are the cows which were promised to him by one of the Bagara in Dheen as payment for employment. He was employed to look after cattle thereafter, he would be given a cow for each year, Mabior worked with the Bagara for 12 years and was given 12 cows which were robbed on his way home.

On January 26, 2010, this SPLA soldier, called Mabior Kuol Kuom shot seven Bagara, a donkey and camel and they died instantly. This caused a great problem between the Dinka and the Bagara, and for a week some of them were trying to fight but luckily the Bagara never found the Dinka, all the communities in Makuei Centre ran away from their homes for a week so as not to be found by the Bagara.
After a few days, the Northern Bahr El Ghazal State Governor Paul Malong Awan, surrounded by many police and soldiers, visited the place where the killing occurred and held the meeting between the Bagara and the Dinka. The meeting went smoothly and the Governor promised that the Bagara cattle could go where ever the Bagara liked to take them for grazing and also promised that the Government will give compensation for the dead people, for each deceased’ the Bagara would get as blood money 31 thousand Sudanese pounds and the total for seven people is 217 thousand SDPS, The Government will pay for the Donkey 150 SDPS and also a camel 175 SDPS. The total for the dead people is 217 thousand + 325 SDPS for the two animals and the total is Ls 217,325 SDPS which is equivalent to $ 86,930.00 in US dollars.

The Governor also promised the area would be secured. All the people are now back to their homes but there is still fear. The Bagara Pastoralist from Darfur were killed in two different places, two were shot in Akuang Malual and five in Juma stream Mabior Nyang. Please pray for us to let the Almighty Father give us unity between the Dinka and the Bagara tribe.

Now we have soldiers and police stationed in several places in our payam location.

Postscript from Fr. Michael D. Barton. MCCJ.

I think this is an example of a political leader who acts quickly to keep law and order and security based on African justice. All the money will be deducted the state workers little by little until the full debt is paid. Justice and peace is why there is no fighting in Northern Bahr El Ghazal as there is in the other 9 states of the South Sudan. The Governor Paul Malong Awan, who also happens to be Roman Catholic, comes from Gordhim parish.

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Saint Teresa Parish

Comboni School

Nyamlell (Aweil West)

Northern Bahr el Ghazal State

South Sudan

The permanent school and the Activity Center that serves as the Saint Joseph Church, as well as a block of four classrooms in the Comboni School in Marial Baai in Aweil West in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, were completed and the Church is used for two classes of Comboni School there. Until further plans or possibilities present themselves, the Marial Baai Community will have to maintain two locally built classrooms. However, in 2009, six classrooms were built – two of them in the first permanent Church built in the entire state since the 1950s.

The Science Laboratory and two more classrooms were roofed and completed in Nyamlell, also in 2009

We celebrated the 75 years of foundation and of existence of the Catholic Church in Nyamlell, which is the second mission built by the Comboni Missionaries among the Dinka. It began in 1934 for the first evangelization of the Dinka Malual so there have been 75 years of the gospel and the sacraments in our state. It was a very big celebration and many thousands of people came and so much preparation went into it.

There was a drive to get donations from the local Christians especially by the youth, and to my amazement the youth and the elders responded marvelously and most of the costs was covered by the Catholics of the parish; the OLSH sisters helped so much in organizing so many details. It was a Christ-centered celebration of Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus and a strengthening of the Church for continued preaching of the gospel in this parish, state and country of the South Sudan.

Our school did very well and got first place in the whole state of Northern Bahr el Ghazal in the state-run class eight leavers certificate examination in 2009. Our best was first in the state and our worst was 99^th out of 1,568 class eight leavers. The best went on to high school and the worst became a policeman. The class eight in 2010 should be sitting soon for theirs and we shall see how they will do.

A non-governmental organization (NGO) in Juba had promised $50,000 when the Activity Center was being built in Marial Baai, but when finished they said that it looked like a church to them and in the end did not give a red cent or piaster of any kind. So all this was done by money that had been donated by people like you.

There are NGOs who have built classrooms but they will only do it for the South Sudan Government and not for the Church even though our results are far superior than those of the government. All these took great effort.

In 2009 the Christmas collection all over the parish in all its centers and chapels was dedicated to building of the first permanent Church in the entire County of Aweil North. This building will be for two purposes. It will serve as a Church and as an Activity Center. It will be called Saint William Church and Saint Julia Activity Center and is being built in Gok Macar, the county seat of Aweil North.

We started the construction as of December 2009 and it is much too early to say when we shall finish but it will be done some time in 2010. I am thinking that U.S. $80,000 will be the cost and one thousand will come from the local community in the form of Sudanese pounds of items.

Next we would like to build a smaller chapel in Ariath, another important center in Aweil North with a good population and many Catholics in both Gok Macar and Ariath.

We have another Comboni school in Makuei, also in Aweil North, which is up to class five. Not far is a large church that has only local grass structures. I would like to build a block of four classrooms that will cost close to U.S. $100,000, which will only be started when we have the money. So I am looking for that too. I hope to get something from some organization. Much cheaper will the repair and finishing of our last classrooms if we can by 2012. I shall move one step at a time.

In 2010 there will be two schools that are up to class eight. They are Nyamlell and Marial Baai, both in Aweil West. As I have said Makuei is our smallest school and has class five this year.

Sacred Heart High School had a great year and in 2010 we shall have Form One and Form Two and growing but also struggling as students coming from other schools like the government ones are very difficult to find as to fit the poorly taught and the well taught who have the basics in place.

We all need help, so that something can get done and that what is up and running stays that way.

Sincerely yours in the Lord of all,
Father Michael Barton, MCCJ.
Comboni Missionaries-Nyamlell,South Sudan.
Post Office Box 21102
Nairobi, Kenya 00505.