Cattle Return As an Opportunity for Renewed Peace

Mundari – Moru Relations

Cattle return as an opportunity for renewed peace

February 27 – March 13

Contents

Introduction 4

The assessment team5

Moru and Mundari perspectives5

Water and Grass: the Mundari in Mundri8

Background: TerekekaCounty, the Mundari8

Mundari-Mundari Tensions and Problems10

Case study: Rego Payam11

Case study: Tali and some successful return13

Overview: Why Mundri and why now?16

Moru: our land is for farms not cattle20

Background: Mundri West and Mundri East20

Case study: Medew Boma22

Case study: Kediba25

Efforts made so far to try and solve the problems27

Meetings headed by commissioners27

Cattle return committees28

Forced Return28

Movement of cattle so far29

Ways forward31

The “only” solution31

Mundari Chiefs33

Enhanced cattle return committees33

Meetings34

Force36

Pull factors for Terekeka36

Reducing herd numbers37

Action plan38

Timeline42

Contact information44

This report is the product of an assessment team that visited TerekekaCounty, MundriWestCounty and MundriEastCounty during two five-day research periods between February 27 and March 13. Pact Sudan’s peace program, UNMIS, the Lacha Community and Economic Development group, the Rego County Development Initiative and the Southern Sudan Peace Commission were all represented and this work should be viewed as a product of the entire team.

Many thanks to all the chiefs, community leaders and members, government officials and others who assisted us greatly in collecting information about this issue.

However, all mistakes are entirely the author’s responsibility. Please contact her on:

Caption: Mundari elders waiting for a meeting to begin under a tamarind tree.

Cover Caption: A young Mundari man from a cattle camp currently in Mundri sits next to a Moru official in MedewVillage, Mundri East.

INTRODUCTION

In 2007, officials in Mundri began to receive complaints from villages that Mundari cattle, originally from TerekekaCounty to the north east, were destroying crops in larger numbers than ever seen before. The Moru – the main tribe in MundriWestCounty and MundriEastCounty – are dependent on agriculture. Their food security has been impacted adversely by this new presence of cattle in their areas, in some cases severely.

The Moru are especially angeredby the Mundari cows because their crops have already suffered depletion under the pressure of large numbers of Dinka Bor before their departurefrom WesternEquatoriaStatein 2005.

The Mundari from TerekekaCounty in CentralEquatoriaState lack adequate resources in their home areas for cattle for at least part of the year. Migration with cattle has always been part of their lives. Wartime produced changed the movement of Mundari, most notably into JubaCounty. Peace since the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) has not brought all war-scattered cattle camps home. In the last years, facilitated by peacetime changes, Mundari have instead in many cases moved into new grazing areas including in Mundri. In both Mundri and JubaCounty, plentiful water and mineral rich grass have increased herd sizes. This is extremely valuable to the Mundari. Their economy and cultural revolves around cows.

But because of growing Moru frustration, there is general acceptance on both sides that the Mundari cattle need to leave Moru land and four meetings headed by the commissioners of Terekeka, Mundri West and Mundri East have ended with agreements – followed with strenuous orders - that they will do so. Some camps have left back to Terekeka, but many containing thousands of cattle remain. Some camps have gone deeper into the bush making it even harder than before for Mundri authorities to track their movement. There is a general lack of information about where the camps are and in what numbers.

The last set of official orders that the Mundari must leave were made in late December. Cattle camps were given a week to leave. January LRA attacks and the absence for health reasons of the Terekeka Commissioner may have hampered efforts to follow up with these orders. The Moru are angered by what seems to beanother deliberate refusal to go.

However there are structures in place – including two Cattle Return Committees – to deal with the problem and some momentum: cattle camp leaders still in Mundri are feeling pressure to move.

The Ways Forward section of this report discusses how future involvement in this issue could enhance commitment to cattle return already shown by Terekeka officials and traditional authority. Together with a consistent and well-organized push from Mundri structures both communities could avoid bloodshed by peacefully moving cattle out of Moru land.

The Assessment Team

The team was made up of members from the Rego Community Development Initiative, the Lacha Community and Economic Development, personnel from the United Nations Mission in Sudan civil affairs and protection sections, a representative of the Southern Sudan Peace Commission and representatives from PACT Sudan as well as a consultant.

The team visited Terekeka County February 27 – March 3. Meetings and individual interviews were conducted in TerekekaTown and three trips were made to nearby Rego Payam to meet with rural Mundari communities there.

The team made a second trip March 9 -13 to Western Equatoria. Meetings were held with local officials in Mundri town, including with the Mundri West Cattle Return Committee. One community in Mundri West was visited. The assessment team also went back to Terekeka during this trip for a morning meeting with authorities and chiefs in Tali. A meeting with officials from the Mundri East headquarters of Kediba was the last on this trip.

The assessment team used group meetings and interviews with individuals to collect data.

Moru and Mundari Perspectives

Common positions and perspectives

“They (the Moru) had problems before with the Dinka Bor. They don’t want to be disturbed now in the peace.” – Local official, TerekekaCounty.

• The communities agree that the problem is caused by cattle and not people per se; Moru are keen to make clear that Mundari without cattle are welcome in their area. The Mundari also by and large acknowledge that their cows cause problems between the communities and did not report any conflicts unrelated to cattle.
• In general the assessment team found that the Mundari make no legal and/or traditional claim that they can stay in the Moru area. (Although one cattle camp owner has reportedly claimed he owns land in Mundri, incorrectly according to Moru)
• Both say the other community has, historically, been a good neighbor. This is in contrast for example todifficult Dinka-Mundari relations. The Moru blame the impact of the war on what they see as a change for the worse in the behavior of some Mundari. If Mundari left peacefully relations would likely become amicable quickly.
• Both communities at grassroots and at government levels are keen to make sure relations improve. Both are also aware that relations are at a breaking point.
• Both say that the Dinka Bor were more problematic (aggressive) than the Mundari cattle keepers.
• The communities are historically connected as well as being neighbors. The Mundari and Moru were originally administered together under colonial rule before borders were changed to put the Mundari with other Bari speakers. The communities have also intermarried, especially in Mundri East.
• The border between the two counties, and communities, is clear.
• Mundari were given refuge in Moru land during the war. Education and health facilities for example in the town of Lui have been much used by Mundari.
• There is some trade between the communities, Moru and Mundari traders also live and work in each other’s areas.

Mundari perspectives

“They (Mundari cattle camp chiefs) are aware of the problems their people are creating there, of the tension. But they are trapped because of the condition of water here and because the cattle keepers have guns.” – Church leader, TerekekaCounty.

• They would like to find a way to stay in Mundri or at least be able to migrate there at certain times of year.They want to maintain increased herds.
• Return is threatening – it is unclear whether there will be enough resources at home especially for those camps that have been away for the last years. Even if return is possible in the wet season (for example) for Rego Mundari it is very unclear what will happen in the following dry season.
• Mundari understand the Moru’s position but herders have suggested that more talks between the communities and working out compensation issues could solve the problem. The Mundari say they are doing their best to stick to bush land and keep their cattle away from farms. There is never any ill intention: they often blame ‘bad cows’ – a position the Moru feel is untenable.
• Mundari have complained that the actual process of return is difficult and that they may loose cattle. Although more is made of the problems of return than of loosing access to Mundri by herders, it is likely that permanent return is what they really want to avoid.
• Mundari see themselves as under-acknowledged in terms of services and not very well represented in the central Government of Southern Sudan. They are also under increased pressure since the signature of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) to leave areas, most notably in JubaCounty and now Moru land, where their cattle are causing problems for farmers.
• They feel more services should be provided as an incentive or reward for return.
• The chaos of the war scattered Mundari in several different directions. Mundari have not yet really had a chance to gather and determine how they can live sustainable in peacetime and are still hanging on in areas where they are made to feel unwelcome.
• Movement is part of the cattle herders’ lives and cannot be stopped completely; much thought will need to go into how they can continue to move in the future without disturbing famers.
• Dinka cattle herders are seen as an important threat.
• Mundari feel sometimes Moru legal systems have been unfair and complain that they have had to over-compensate for damage.

Moru perspectives

• Moru are increasingly angry at the continued presence of Mundari cattle camps despite official orders that they must leave. They also want the Mundari not to return. At this point there is not much sympathy for the Mundari’s situation at home: one Moru said that the only solution was that cattle numbers must be reduced, if the Mundari refuse to do this then that is their problem.
• Moru sources say they feel threatened by the armed Mundari as well as by food insecurity caused by cattle damage to crops.
• They do not believe that the Mundari will go willingly and see reasons given by the Mundari for their continued presence as excuses they are tired of hearing.
• While the Mundari are still in their areas at least some Moru leaders feel that they have to try and keep the peace and maintain as good as relations as possible.
• However, some are prepared to fight the Mundari if they do not leave by this rainy season.
• There is frustration with efforts by authorities not working even though the Mundari are seen as stubborn. Communities feel they need external pressure from government on the cattle camps.

Caption: Mundari leaders in Rego Payam discuss reasons why many in their community are currently many miles away with their cattle camps.

WATER AND GRASS: MUNDARI IN MUNDRI

Background: TerekekaCounty and the Mundari

About 12,000sq km, TerekekaCounty is predominately arid bush land with the exception of areas beside and lush islands within the River Nile that flows through the county. Nine of the county’s payams lie on the west of the river and a tenth, Gemmaiza, on the east. Mangalla Payam to the south of Terekeka is currently under JubaCounty but is also claimed by some Mundari in one of South Sudan’s numerous post-CPA territorial disputes.

Terekeka is all Mundari land. Many Mundari traditionally move their cattle at different times of the year to other areas in search of water or better pastures.

Mundari officials, citizens, headmen say they do not count their cows or their people.So it was extremely difficult to get even rough estimates of numbers of camps that are on the move from Terekeka. However, movement includes:

• A significant number of cattle and herders have traditionally used dry season pastures on the banks of the NileRiver and especially the islands.
• Travelling southwards into JubaCounty is also common and an important proportion of camps stay there all year. In general there is a lack of clarity over how many camps are only moving seasonally and how many are away for longer periods.
• Movement northwards into Dinka land was common before Mundari-Dinka relations became more aggressive during the war. Since the CPA this relationship has been characterized by aggressive and deathly cattle raiding. With more movement and without armies to maintain order in the bush the practice has increased.
• In recent years, for reasons explained below, more Mundari have been moving into – and often staying – in Mundri. Terekeka Commissioner Ali Juma said that at least some Mundari from all 10 payams are now using Mundri area to graze cattle.

Mundari are used to encountering complaints and resistance from host communities, for example from Bari communities in JubaCounty, angered that cows are trespassing on farms. In recent years according to rural Mundari chiefs, Mundari in Juba town have gained a reputation as thieves and trouble-makers, even those living in the town without cattle are sometimes disliked.

While frustration expressed by Mundri authorities is relatively new, it is also another version of an older reality for Mundari of being the cause of complaint. Mundari leaders described themselves to the assessment team as being “isolated, since the colonial times” and see themselves as over-looked by Juba: neither agriculturalists like other Bari speakers or part of a large pastoralist tribe.

While sensitive to land access issues, aware that their cattle are problematic and keen not to ruin historically good relations with the Moru, a certain amount of defiance has in the past been crucial to survival and it is unsurprising that many cattle camps have not left Mundri despite repeated orders to do so.

There are at least some senior officials and chiefs who have their cattle in camps in lush Mundri. As youth respondents said: “the chiefs always tell youth to search for the best areas for grazing.” Cattle camp chiefs do what their chiefs tell them and are unlikely to move on without clear messages that they must do so from home. Mixed messages with some authorities telling them to return but others to stay will not work.

In Mundri the animals are thriving. There is very real tension in the mix between the desire to be in agreement with their neighbors and to try and find ways to stay. Officials and community leaders understand that the cattle is a problem but many feel ultimately unable to fix it, and may be unwilling to do so, without outside assistance to better the situation for cows in Terekeka. It was strongly suggested by some community leaders that the Mundari should be given more services as an incentive for return: their support may not come for free without strong advocacy and guidance by authorities.

Caption: Mundari girls in TerekekaTown show model their hats.

Mundari-Mundari tensions and problems

The Mundari are divided into several sub-sections – often named after neighbors for example Mundari Bari or Mundari Nyangbora- and then numerous clan groups. Inter-marriage is common and relations between the different groups are fairly good, especially when compared to destructive inter-clan relations in Unity, Warrap and LakesState.

Members of a Terekeka youth group gave two examples of recent incidents of violence between clans, one between the Mundari Bari Arii and the Mundari Moruti in which one person was killed and one wounded and another fight between the Cogi and Polur over pasture that did not lead to any deaths. Although such incidents are common and problematic, chiefs say they are usually able to find solutions and provide victims with compensation. Most of the disputes involve small scale cattle theft or family problems.