The Bible verse “Love your neighbor as you love yourself” appears in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, emphasizing the importance of loving others as a core principle of faith. In Matthew 22:39, Jesus identifies it as the second greatest commandment, alongside loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind. Leviticus 19:18 in the Old Testament also commands, “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”
Payijiar County and Greater Yirol have many things in common, including but not limited to borders and bloodlines; hence, these regions are one and the same. This is the same case with Panyijiar and other sisterly counties of Lakes State and Unity State in the northern part. The proximity of these territories and the similarity of the people of greater Panyijiar and greater Yirol give their respective residents the status as neighbors who should love themselves for the well-being and betterment of the present and future generations.
The people in these two areas share, among other things, nomadic norms and several traditional practices. These nomadic cousins share both the good and bad cultures, to say the least. For example, the good cultures they share include hospitality, humanity, generosity, and hard work. On the other hand, the bad culture in common is violent cattle raiding. However, they all face the same challenges. One of the artificial problems they all face is divisive and tribal politics championed by the ruling elite, who are devoid of substance. There are a few existing natural problems, like floods and diseases, which have already claimed thousands of innocent lives.
Interestingly, these sisterly and brotherly people of Panyijiar and Lakes State, and Yirol in particular, are related by blood because they have intermarried and mingled for a very long time. They are inherently blessed with a large piece of arable and grazing land and water bodies with an abundance of fish. Unknown to many folks, it is on the lands of the region that encompasses Panyijiar and Yirol that South Sudan wants to build its proposed capital city, called Ramciel City. I believe the choice of Ramciel was necessitated by the strategic and central location of the proposed site and the hospitality of the people there. Since time immemorial, the people of Yirol and Panyijiar have lived together peacefully. Even as I pen this piece, many people from Panyijiar County are currently residing in Lakes State, and particularly in Yirol East County.
In 2020, when parts of Panyijiar flooded, causing an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, the residents, in large numbers, crossed to Yirol East and other close counties in Lakes State. The flood-displaced people were welcomed by Lakes State Governor General Riny Tueny Mabior. In his welcoming remarks, the governor made it crystal clear that the land is enough for everyone to live and cultivate. This was a patriotic statement based on the Pan-Africanism principle of unity and oneness. He emphasized that people displaced from Panyijiar who crossed to Yirol must not live as internally displaced persons (IDP) and insisted that they choose where to live in greater Yirol by being South Sudanese. Following this historic reception, the flood victims were warmly welcomed with open arms. I am cocksure that the people of Panyijiar County can offer the same homage and hospitality to the residents of Yirol and Lakes State in general if they find themselves in the same deplorable situation.
There is available evidence to demonstrate that the people of Panyijiar County love the people of Lakes State as their dependable neighbors in South Sudan. On 18th November 2024, the SSPDF deputy operations commander in Panyijiar, Colonel James Tayin Keah Tut, was killed in the line of duty while confiscating cattle rustled from the people of Lakes State. A week before his death, the Panyijiar authorities under the incumbent commissioner, Col. Gabriel Majok Bol Mani, launched an operation dubbed “Return of stolen cattle.” In the process, the Panyijiar County authorities managed to identify some cattle and livestock that were irregularly bought in Panyijiar by rustlers two years before. Regrettably, when the county officers tried to confiscate and collect the stolen livestock to return them to the rightful owners, the rustlers resisted, leading to an armed confrontation that led to the death of Col. Tayin. This devoted officer perished in a fight against criminals, some of whom are still roaming and causing havoc along the borders of Panyijiar County and Lakes State.
In his honor, the authorities in Panyijiar County and Lakes State should write a joint recommendation for Colonel James Tayin to be promoted posthumously. At the county level, the tarmac road connecting Yirol East and Panyijiar counties should be constructed and named after this selfless serviceman. This proposed road can be commissioned in his remembrance to encourage patriotic officers on duty that their efforts shall not go in vain, should cattle raiders take their lives while on duty. I must say that the killing of Col. Tayin can only be compared to the killing of Chief and elder Keah Tut Ngoal in terms of their status and positions in the county. In 2014, the late Elder Keah Tut was murdered in cold blood at his home by untrained forces that continue to target children and women through air bombardment under the pretext of fighting cattle rustlers in Panyijiar County. The recent bombing of Pachienjok, Pariel, and Polmok villages is a case in point. The late Chief Keah Tut fathered Tayin Keah. Unfortunately, I often hear some propagandists arguing that the ongoing war was due to tribal animosity between the Dinka and the Nuer.
If indeed there is an existing enmity between these sisterly communities, then Colonel Tayin could not have sacrificed his precious life in defense of properties belonging to Dinka brothers of Yirol East County. On that day, Tayin and his deceased comrades saw that the cattle belonged to their neighbors from Yirol East County, period. You can imagine, if there was existing tribal enmity, maybe Tayin could have aided the concealment of the stolen cattle because the original owners are Dinka. Colonel Tayin is an undisputed hero of both Panyijiar and Yirol East counties.
Tayin died selflessly while fighting on behalf of the people of Lakes State. He was not fighting for the people of Yirol against the people of Panyijiar, but for the peaceful coexistence between the people of these neighboring counties. Furthermore, Colonel Tayin will be remembered as the champion of peace and good neighborliness.
The cause of the current problem
Currently, there is a big problem that is killing our people in Panyijiar County and Lakes State. One way of solving a social problem and other problems is to identify the root cause. When the root cause of the problem is explained, then remedies can be prescribed and preached in order to resolve the issue through timely implementation.
The problem that I am referring to emanated from the side of Panyijiar County. What is the problem? On 18th June 2025, the rowdy youth from Panyijiar went and rustled cattle from Yirol East County. One of my sources from Yirol East County informed me that the raid happened at night while it was raining heavily. Unfortunately, before the Panyijiar County authorities could initiate a plan to return the stolen cattle, the inept and impatient SPLM Party government in Juba reacted by using unconventional means of dealing with the crisis. Instead of liaising with the authorities in Panyijiar County, who are opposed to cattle rustling, they [the government] began carrying out air bombardment on villages in Panyijiar. The gunship attacks were far from the forests and busher where cattle raiders are hiding.
This indiscriminate bombardment ended up causing serious provocation among the Panyijiar populace. As they say, “two wrongs never make a right.” The violent cattle raiding by a few Payinjiar armed youth and the random bombing of the entire Panyijiar population by the government are unacceptable and unlawful. Those cattle raiders and bombers are human butchers who should be dealt with per domestic and international law because their conduct amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity. This provocative act of bombing civilians in Panyijiar county was not done to add pressure on cattle raiders to return the stolen cattle, but it was done as an act of revenge on Panyijiar and its entirety.
The indiscriminate bombing in Panyijiar was deceptive to make the people of Lakes State believe that the government is on their side; it was done to gain political mileage. But the question is: How can the government be with the people of Yirol when its actions sabotage the planned return of stolen cattle to the rightful owners? The repeated gunship attacks on the innocent inhabitants of Panyijiar incite revenge among the neighboring communities, as was seen in Shambe, where fishermen and traders traveling by boat to Juba were ambushed.
On 1st July 2025, the nation woke up to the heartbreaking news published by Radio Tamazuj that 42 traders from Panyijiar were missing, with some feared dead, in the Shambe Port area. Maybe the bandits who attacked the traders were motivated by what the government was doing in broad daylight. They felt that if the government was conducting indiscriminate bombing to kill everyone in Panyijiar, they could follow suit and kill innocent businessmen whom they believed were coming from Panyijiar. Indeed, it is regrettable and must challenge all of us to question why we have thrown our country to the dogs?
As the country marks its 14th Independence Day anniversary on 9th July, President Salva Kiir and the rest of us should look back and see the irreparable damage caused by these “divide and rule” tactics rooted in colonialism. As a people of one indivisible nation, we should work toward uniting our people to achieve the historical objectives of self-determination achieved on 9th July 2011.
It is wrong and unforgivable to divide and declare counties as friendly or hostile based on individual political views that are guaranteed and protected by the constitution and the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCISS).
On 16th May 2024, the negotiating parties, including the fractious SPLM Party, signed a declaration of commitment to the Tumaini Peace Initiative. Convincingly, points one and two of this declaration of principles state: “To firmly renounce violence as a means of resolving differences and call upon all South Sudanese citizens to engage in constructive dialogue, fostering an environment where grievances can be addressed peacefully. To agree to open civic spaces and to allow citizens to participate in peaceful political processes and to respect, protect and guarantee the freedom of expression, assembly and association.”
Finally, the people, and especially the youth of greater Panyijiar and Lakes State, should remain neighbors who love each other in good and bad times. They must remain united in their quest to defeat these antagonizing cattle rustlers. Equally, they must refrain from all acts of revenge as envisioned by a few gluttonous politicians who benefit from the spoils and proceeds of war.
In conclusion, the senior youth from these sisterly counties are hereby called and encouraged to shun all kinds of social media propaganda aimed at spreading hostility and hatred. Last but not least, youth should defend themselves against all forms of human rights violations by expressing their dislike against the ruling elites who continue to squander their opportunities by prolonging their stay in office against the law.
The writer is a lawyer and criminologist by profession and is a former delegate to the Tumaini Peace Initiative who represented the South Sudan People’s Movement (SSPM) as its chairperson for legal and constitutional affairs. He was also a former chairperson of the South Sudan Liech Community and the former chairperson of the South Sudan Students’ Association in Kenya. He can be reached via eligodakb@yahoo.com.
The views expressed in ‘opinion’ articles published by Radio Tamazuj are solely those of the writer. The veracity of any claims made is the responsibility of the author, not Radio Tamazuj.