Padang (Khorfulus) community Diaspora press release: a clear indication the community is behind the massacre
By Deng Riek Khoryoam, South Sudan
February 17, 2011 (SSNA) — For the past couple of days, I have been contemplating as to whom else could be in the background following the heinous attack on the innocent women and children in Fangak. As we were trying to think outside the box to see whether George Athor was acting on his own or not, little did we know that what was once attributed as a one man callous act was indeed masterminded by the whole community of Dinka Khorfulus, as their yesterday anomalous press release dated 15/02/11 showed. It’s now crystal clear that George Athor was representing the conscience of his Khorfulus community, the so-called “Padang community (except Atar)” when he carried out the mass slaughtering on our people.
We thank God for the marvelous work he has done by revealing unto us this inconspicuous evil plot through the press release issued by Khorfulus community two days ago, which would have been more abstruse to understand had they not made their position clear. The Padang/Khorfulus community issued a press release two days ago refuting all that was said in the media about the odious killings or massacres meted on the people of Fangak by the mass slaughterer, their son George Athor. It goes without saying that this ridiculous statement adds more salt to the very fresh wounds and sad memories of yesterday as our people are still groaning in anguish as they try coming to terms with the death of their loved ones, in such huge numbers like that.
Hence, the press statement was/is even more antagonizing than it would be to show some kind of symphasy to the surviving victims and the entire Fangak community. And I want to accentuate this point very clearly: as we are mourning for the death of our people, the Dinka Khorfulus community is just rejoicing and dancing for the success of their devilish plan of extermination executed by their son, Athor Deng. As they made it clear here bellow:
“The innocent deaths of the civilians cannot be attributed to a single warring party either in any armed conflict due to the unanimity of accidental crossfire that can occur inaccurately and lack of target knowledge”
This is a very stupid defense and a flimsy excuse aimed at extenuating the mass killings of our people, which must not go unanswered. More than 100 civilians, apart from those who got drowned in the river, cannot be shot or killed in the crossfire; common sense alone can tell that this is a wrong and a baseless assertion. I completely expostulate with this useless specious argument. They actually have an upper hand in this odious massacre. And with that extremist position issuing this statement, it will only aggravate things further at the local level, I am afraid!
Ironically speaking, what we are seeing now is that it’s not a community taking a neutral role in trying to resolve the inter-communal issue; rather this is a community condoning son (Athor)’s evil schemes, instead of condemning it. “So the notion that Fangak Community and Nuer Supreme Council incriminated this heinous atrocity specifically to be the criminal responsibility of Lt. General Athor’s loyal forces is unfair and unjust and total injustice. Reasons are: — Athor forces did not launch an attack, but the SPLA forces assaulted his position and then he fought back in defense to retain his position”
This is absolute nonsense and it’s utterly offensive. Nobody incriminated Athor by design or default, he incriminated himself by his own acts and there is no question whatsoever that it’s his criminal responsibility to launch this attack on innocent children and women. Remember this attack is not the first of its kind; Athor attacked Phom el Zeraf last year in January in which more than 40 people were killed and dozens wounded. The fundamental moral questions are: where were Athor’s forces when they alleged to have been assaulted? Which location or position? Where were SPLA forces before the incident happened? Please, for God’s sake, stop fabricating stories and manufacturing lies out of arrogance, it won’t help.
Please I urge those of you who issued this statement to withdraw and apologize to the people of Fangak or face the consequences, because when Athor attacked, there were no SPLA soldiers in Phom el zeraf; SPLA soldiers were only located at Door. This is completely a baseless argument which is lacking logic. If you look at it critically and remove those malicious tribal specks, you would realize that many of those who actually died in action (fighting in defense!) are law enforcement agencies i.e. the police, prison and wild life. And that is why most of them were either killed or wounded and this is a fact, not a caricature!
When Athor and his forces carried out the attacks, they knew quite well and at the back of their minds who they were going to hit/hurt and where. If they didn’t have the intention to hit or shot at the civilians, why were they directly shooting at the civilians? Even those who got drowned in the river are those who were either shot or those civilians trying to escape Athor’s merciless men, who could not spare the civilians. Because in any case, the civilians, knowing that they were not the prime targets, would have just lied low down under their beds; and not run into the river, but because they knew that they were the prime targets as Athor’s men were shooting indiscriminately, they had to run or seek escape route for one’s dear life.
The other questions you guys failed to answer are: what did Athor’s forces go to do in Phom el zeraf? Why didn’t Athor’s forces attack SPLA positions instead of Phom el zeraf, the County headquarters, if his intentions were to fight back and retain their position?? Was his ‘illegitimate’ discontent with the people of Fangak or with GOSS/Kuol Manyang in Juba and Bor respectively? Why didn’t he (Athor) go and attack Bor instead of Fangak, which has nothing to do with his alleged stolen victory? Leave the disgruntled and disgraced, the so-called Dok James Puok alone. If he (Dok) and the likes forgot that blood was thicker than water then it’s just a matter of time before they are made to pay for the lives of our innocent women, children and elderly. He and other Nuer who are with Athor are our enemy number one, irrespective of where or which part of Nuer they come from.
In conclusion, Khorfulus community, even if you say that you are not at war with the Jageai people of Fangak; it’s not true, given your press statement. It shows clearly that you are an accomplice in this heinous attack intentionally directed against our civil populace, in which 282 are now known dead, 20, 000 people displaced and many more still missing. You are no longer a good neighbor since you resorted to this cowardice and barbaric killing of our people. Atar community is our good neighbor and we have been living peacefully and harmoniously for long time and shall continue to be so.
I warn you not to thrive on falsehoods, the suffering and deaths of the people of Fangak because sooner rather than later, it’s going to backfire on you and its going to be even uglier than this one. Mark my words for this! Last but not least, I thank our brothers and sisters from Atar who have yesterday 16/02/11 refuted the nasty and hasty generalization made by Dinka Khorfulus in the press release issued on 15/02/11 as representing the whole Padang community without their consent. Thank you for being sympathetic and for condemning the recent massacre on our people in Phom el zeraf on 10/02/11.
The author lives in South Sudan, he is reachable at [email protected]