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95-651: A member of the Nuer ethnic group, Machar earned degrees in engineering from Khartoum University and the University of Bradford . In 1984, he joined the Sudanese People's Liberation Army/Movement (SPLM/A) rebel group fighting for southern independence during the Second Sudanese Civil War . Due to a rift with SPLM/A leader John Garang , Machar was ejected from the group in 1991, and founded

190-860: A Nilotic ethnic group concentrated in the Greater Upper Nile region of South Sudan . They also live in the Ethiopian region of Gambella . The Nuer speak the Nuer language , which belongs to the Nilotic language family . They are the second-largest ethnic group in South Sudan and the largest ethnic group in Gambella, Ethiopia. The Nuer people are pastoralists who herd cattle for a living. Their cattle serve as companions and define their lifestyle. The Nuer call themselves " Naath ". The Nuer people have historically been undercounted because of

285-475: A "dictatorial reign of terror"; but ethnic rivalry seemed to have a part, with the Nasir faction mainly composed of Nuer , and Garang's supporters mainly Dinka people. Months of fighting between the two factions left thousands dead in early 1992. The SPLA-Nasir also raised the idea of an independent south (whereas Garang wanted unity). On September 14, 1992, Bany, who was at the time Deputy Commander-in-Chief of

380-799: A British aid worker. She died in a car accident in Nairobi in 1993 at the age of 29, while pregnant. Machar's second wife, Angelina Teny , is one of the leading women politicians in South Sudan. She was state minister of Energy and Mining in the transitional government (2005–2010). Machar was a rebel leader with the Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement (SPLM/A) headed by John Garang from 1984 until he fell out with Garang in 1991. As Zonal Commander of Western Upper Nile, in 1986 he entered into an agreement with Baggara chiefs. Machar led forces that attacked and overran Melut in 1989. That year he

475-402: A Major, Kerubino coalesced with William to organize a revolt and opened routes to Ethiopian plains. By the end of July, Sudan People's Liberation Army /Movement (SPLA) had brought over 3000 soldiers into the newly created Sudan People's Liberation Army /Movement (SPLA/M), which was opposed to military rule and Islamic dominance of the country, and encouraged other army garrisons to mutiny against

570-512: A higher prestige. If one might have more than enough to provide for themselves then they also provide that to other kin that are in need, as it is a part of their role in kinship. Conflict over pastures and cattle raids have been happening between Nuer and Dinka as they battle for grazing ground for their animals. According to Jared Diamond , "...the Nuer observe few restrictions in their treatment of neighboring Dinka tribes: they regularly raid

665-529: A power sharing deal that was meant to take effect on 12 May 2019. Machar was appointed First Vice-president of South Sudan on 22 February 2020 as part of the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity. In 2021, he hinted that the 2023 South Sudanese general election would be postponed. On 18 May 2020, Machar and his wife tested positive for COVID-19 . Sources Nuer people The Nuer people are

760-598: A promising leader and called him a "partner in peace." Bush highlighted Garang's Christian faith, and even connected him to support at evangelical churches in his hometown of Midland, Texas . Garang effectively used radio to advance his cause. In late July 2005, Garang died after the Ugandan presidential Mi-172 helicopter he was flying in crashed. He had been returning from a meeting in Rwakitura with long-time ally President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda. He did not tell

855-418: A reflection, and departs together with the ox sacrificed, to the place of the ghosts.". In the 1940s, missionaries began to attempt to evangelize the Nuer. The book of Genesis was translated and published in 1954, with the whole New Testament following in 1968. By the 1970s, there were nearly 200 Nuer congregations established. However, reporting indicates that only around 1% of Nuer identify as Christian. In

950-488: A revitalized peace agreement with Salva Kiir , the current President of South Sudan . He is also the head of the rebel faction known as SPLM-IO ( Sudan People's Liberation Movement-In Opposition ) that was founded in 2014 following the 2013 war outbreak and has been historically in opposition to Kiir. Between April and July 2016 Machar served as the First Vice President of South Sudan. He is designated to be

1045-703: A secular and democratic but united Sudan in which the southerners would have full representation, Machar wanted a fully independent South Sudan. In August 1991 Riek Machar, Lam Akol and Gordon Kong announced that John Garang had been ejected from the SPLM. Kong Chuol is from the Eastern Jikany Nuer and Lam Akol is from the Shilluk people . The breakaway faction, based in Nasir until 1995 and then in Waat and Ayod,

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1140-709: A statement released by the office of the Sudanese President, Omar el-Bashir , confirmed that the Ugandan presidential helicopter had crashed into "a mountain range in southern Sudan because of poor visibility and this resulted in the death of Dr. John Garang DeMabior, six of his colleagues and seven Ugandan crew members." According to the Sudan Tribune John Garang's legacy was a major cornerstone in South Sudan's fight for independence. Without Garang, many marginalized people of Africa, including that of Sudan would still be largely forgotten about in

1235-515: A struggle for control of the Unity state oilfields. Matip's fighters forced Tito Biel , a high-ranking SSDF commander, to evacuate Leer early in 1999. Tito Biel later went over to the SPLA. Riek Machar's failure to prevent the government from forcibly displacing civilians from the oil-producing areas of Unity State turned the Nuer against his leadership. Machar's SSDF began to receive ammunition from

1330-406: A surplus, it is shared with neighbors. Amassing wealth is not an aim. Although a man who owns a large herd of cattle may be envied, his possession of numerous animals does not garner him any special privilege or treatment". In this tribe there is no special treatment for how one is treated because of their abundance in cattle. Just because one might have more cattle than another doesn't mean they have

1425-419: Is a balance between the mother and father's side that is acknowledged through particular formal occasions such as marriage. Nuer girls usually marry at 17 or 18. If a young girl gets engaged at an early age, the wedding and consummation ceremonies are essentially delayed. Women generally give birth to their first children when they are mature enough to bear them. As long as a girl marries a man with cattle, she

1520-405: Is able to freely choose her husband, however her parents may choose a spouse for her. Kinship among the Nuer is very important to them, they refer to their blood relatives as "gol". Kinship within the Nuer is formed off of one's neighbors or their entire culture. During E. E. Evans-Pritchard 's ethnographic observation, he described the role of kinship as: "Kinship obligations include caring for

1615-472: Is eaten". Many times it may not even just be cattle that they consume, it could be any animal they have scavenged upon that has died because of natural causes. There are a few other food sources that are available for the Nuer to consume. The Nuer diet primarily consists of fish and millet. "Their staple crop is millet." Millet is formally consumed as porridge or beer. The Nuer turn to this staple product in seasons of rainfall when they move their cattle up to

1710-547: Is further exemplified in personal names." They form their children's names from the biological features of the cattle. Evans-Pritchard wrote, "I have already indicated that this obsession—for such it seems to an outsider is due not only to the great economic value of cattle but also to the fact that they are links in numerous social relationships." All their raw materials come from cattle, including drums, rugs, clothing, spears, shields, containers, and leather goods. Even daily essentials like toothpaste and mouthwash are created from

1805-452: Is non-Muslim (mostly animist ), he did not initially focus on the religious aspects of the war. Garang was a strong advocate for national unity: minorities together formed a majority and, therefore should rule. Together, Garang believed, they could replace President Omar al-Bashir with a government made up of representatives from “all tribes and religions in Sudan." His first real effort for

1900-466: Is the spirit of the sky or the spirit who is in the sky" Kuoth Nhial" (God in Heaven) the creator, but Nuer believe in the coming of God through rain, lightning and thunder, and that the rainbow is the necklace of God. The sun and the moon as well as other material entities are also manifestation or sign of God, who after all is a spirit. The spirits of the air above are believed to be the most powerful of

1995-734: The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was initialed on New Year's Eve 2004. The CPA appeared to embody the vision of the "New Sudan" that Garang wanted. Within the CPA, power was split between the National Congress Party and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement for six years, until 2010, with Garang as the first vice-president. As a leader, John Garang's democratic credentials were often questioned. For example, according to Gill Lusk, "John Garang did not tolerate dissent and anyone who disagreed with him

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2090-677: The First Sudanese Civil War , but because he was so young, the leaders encouraged him and others of his age to pursue education. Because of the ongoing fighting, Garang was forced to complete his secondary education in Tanzania . After winning a scholarship, he went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Economics in 1969 from Grinnell College in Iowa , United States. He was offered another scholarship to pursue graduate studies at

2185-680: The Gezira south into a barren dry land that they called "Kwer Kwong", which was in southern Kordofan . Centuries of isolation and influence from Luo peoples caused them to be a distinct ethnic group from the Naath. The arrival of the Baggara and their subsequent slave raids in the late 1700s caused the Nuer to migrate from southern Kordofan into what is now Bentiu . In around 1850, further slave raids as well as flooding and overpopulation caused them to migrate even further out of Bentiu and eastwards all

2280-538: The Islamic law imposed on the country by the government. William Nyuon Bany and Kerubino Kwanyin Bol were both founding members of SPLA. Bany was appointed the 3rd high-ranking Commander after Bol. This action marked the commonly agreed upon beginning of the Second Sudanese Civil War , which resulted in one and a half million deaths over twenty years of conflict. Although Garang was Christian and most of southern Sudan

2375-830: The SPLA-Nasir splinter group. Later that year, Machar was involved in the Bor Massacre , in which his forces took part in the massacre of at least 2000 Dinka civilians. Over the next several years, Machar led several different rebel groups and militias, including the SPLA-United, the South Sudan Independence Movement/Army (SSIM/A), the South Sudan Defence Forces (SSDF) and the Sudan People's Defense Forces/Democratic Front (SPDF), before reuniting with Garang and

2470-516: The SPLA/M as a senior commander. After the death of John Garang in July 2005, Machar became vice-president of the autonomous Southern Sudan. He became vice-president of South Sudan on 9 July 2011 when the country became independent, but was dismissed from office by President Salva Kiir Mayardit on 23 July 2016. Machar was re-appointed as First Vice-president of South Sudan on 22 February 2020 as part of

2565-643: The Second Sudanese Civil War (1983–2005). Machar fell out with the SPLM/A leader John Garang in 1991 and formed a splinter group, the SPLM/A-Nasir . In 1997, he made a treaty with the Government of Sudan and became head of the government-backed South Sudan Defense Force (SSDF). In 2000 he left the SSDF and formed a new militia, the Sudan People's Defense Forces/Democratic Front (SPDF), and in 2002 rejoined

2660-651: The South Sudan Defense Force (SSDF), which included most of the ex-rebels who had signed the Khartoum agreement. There was growing tension between Riek Machar and Paulino Matip's South Sudan Unity Movement (SSUM), which became engaged in forcibly removing civilians from the Block 5A oil concession area, and assisting in clearances from other oil blocks. In 1998–1999, Matip's fighters and government troops clashed several times with Machar's SSDF forces in

2755-457: The University of Bradford in 1984. Machar has been called a tuut dhoali/Doth in English , which may be translated "adult boy", meaning uninitiated and literate. He has tried to transcend tribal divisions, and at one time attempted to ban initiation marks. However, in his struggle with John Garang he exploited ethnic rivalries between the Nuer and Dinka people . Machar married Emma McCune ,

2850-596: The University of California, Berkeley , but chose to return to Tanzania and study East African agricultural economics as a Thomas J. Watson Fellow at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM). At UDSM, he was a member of the University Students' African Revolutionary Front . However, Garang soon returned to Sudan and joined the rebels. There is much erroneous reporting that Garang met and befriended Yoweri Museveni , future president of Uganda, at this time; while both Garang and Museveni were students at UDSM in

2945-592: The 1960s, they did not attend at the same time. In 1970, Garang was in one of the batches of Gordon Muortat Mayen 's soldiers, the then leader of the Anyanya liberation movement, sent to Israel for military training. The civil war ended with the Addis Ababa Agreement of 1972 and Garang, like many rebels, was absorbed into the Sudanese military. For eleven years, he was a career soldier and rose from

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3040-553: The 1985 interim government or the 1986 elections, remaining a rebel leader. However, the SPLA and government signed a peace agreement on January 9, 2005, in Nairobi , in Kenya. On July 9, 2005, he was sworn in as the First-Vice-President – the second most powerful person in the country – following a ceremony in which he and President Omar al-Bashir signed a power-sharing constitution. Simultaneously, he became

3135-462: The 1990s, Sharon Hutchinson returned to Nuerland to update E.E. Evans-Pritchard's account. She found that the Nuer had placed strict limits on the convertibility of money and cattle in order to preserve the special status of cattle as objects of bride wealth exchange and as mediators to the divine. She also found that as a result of endemic warfare with the Sudanese state , guns had acquired much of

3230-570: The Dinka, steal Dinka livestock, kill Dinka men, and take home some Dinka women and children as captives while killing the others. But Nuer hostilities against other Nuer tribes consist only of sporadic cattle raids, killing of just a few men, and no killing or kidnapping of women and children." E. E. Evans-Pritchard studied the Nuer and made very detailed accounts of his interactions. He also describes Nuer cosmology and religion in his books. Nuer Online indicates that, "Nuer (Nuäär) believes that God

3325-524: The First Vice President according to the new "revitalized" peace agreement signed in September 2018. Dr. Riek Machar will take up the post of First Vice President when the new unity government is formed, initially in February 2019, but later delayed until February 2020. Machar obtained a PhD in strategic planning in 1984 and then joined the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army ( SPLM/A ) during

3420-685: The Hillcrest Hotel in Nairobi on New Year's Day 2003, there was a meeting between the SPLA and the Fur people . Garang asked two associates of Abdul Wahid al Nur (who later formed the Sudan Liberation Movement ) to declare that the Fur people were with the SPLA – they refused. Over 15 months, starting in September 2003, Ali Osman and Garang met in private in Naivasha . Their secret meetings and negotiations lasted up until

3515-576: The Kiir loyalists and his own loyalists Juba in July 2016. After a 48-hour ultimatum given by the president to him for returning to Juba to progress with the peace agreement talks passed, the SPLA-IO in Juba appointed lead negotiator Taban Deng Gai to replace Machar and the government accepted him as acting vice-president. Machar said any talks would be illegal because he had fired Gai. In October 2017, Machar

3610-539: The Nuer and Dinka are actually similar. He argues that hundreds of years of population growth created expansion, which eventually led to raids and wars. In 2006 the Nuer and Murle were the tribes that resisted disarmament most strongly ; members of the Nuer White Army , a group of armed youths often autonomous from tribal elders' authority, refused to lay down their weapons, which led SPLA soldiers to confiscate Nuer cattle, destroying their economy. The White Army

3705-569: The Nuer move around to ensure that their livelihood is safe. They tend to travel when heavy seasons of rainfall come to protect the cattle from hoof disease, and when resources for the cattle are scarce. British anthropologist E. E. Evans-Pritchard wrote, "They depend on the herds for their very existence...Cattle are the thread that runs through Nuer institutions , language , rites of passage , politics , economy , and allegiances ." The Nuer are able to structure their entire culture around cattle and still have what they need. Before development,

3800-623: The Nuer tribe include beef, goat, cow's milk, mangos , and sorghum in one of three forms: "ko̱p" finely ground, handled until balled and boiled, "walwal" ground, lightly balled and boiled to a solid porridge, and injera / Yɔtyɔt , a large, pancake-like yeast -risen flatbread . In the early 1990s about 25,000 African refugees were resettled in the United States throughout different locations such as South Dakota, Tennessee and Minnesota. In particular, 4,288 refugees from Sudan were resettled among 36 different states between 1990 and 1997 with

3895-560: The Nuer used every single piece of cattle to their advantage. According to Evans-Pritchard, cattle helped evolve the Nuer culture into what it is today. They shaped the Nuer's daily duties, as they dedicate themselves to protecting the cattle. For example, each month they blow air into their cattle's rectums to relieve or prevent constipation. Cattle are no good to the Nuer if constipated because they are restricted from producing primary resources that families need to survive. Evans-Pritchard wrote, "The importance of cattle in Nuer life and thought

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3990-814: The Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity. Riek Machar Teny Dhurgon was born in Leer , Unity State on 26 November 1952, the 27th son of the chief of Ayod and Leer. He was brought up as a member of the Presbyterian church. Machar belongs to the Dok section (Dok-Chiengluom) of the Nuer Bentiu people . He trained as an engineer at Khartoum University , and obtained a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from

4085-448: The SPLA and Deputy Chairman of the SPLM, announced his defection from the SPLA, and escaped Garang territory. The following day, Commander Salva Kiir Mayardit was promoted from Chief of Staff to Bany's old positions of Deputy Commander-in-Chief and Deputy Chairman. Bany joined forces with Machar and Akol, and later joined forces with Bol to form SPLA-United , Sudanese People's Liberation Army-United. Garang had refused to participate in

4180-556: The SPLA as of June 1999. In 2000 at a meeting of leaders in Koch he finally resigned from the government of Sudan and created a fresh militia named the Sudan People's Defense Forces/Democratic Front (SPDF). At risk in his own homeland of the Dok Nuer, Riek moved his base of operations to the eastern Jikany area. In January 2002 he signed an agreement with John Garang to merge the SPDF into

4275-546: The SPLA, and was given command of the Dok Nuer within the SPLA. The civil war ended in January 2005. In August Machar became Vice President of the Government of Southern Sudan and SPLM Co-chair of the Joint Executive Political Committee. When South Sudan became independent, in July 2011 he was appointed first vice president of the new republic. On 15 July 2011 Machar represented South Sudan at

4370-592: The SPLA. However, this caused the West to reconsider relations with the SPLA – justifying their providing the SPLA with "non-lethal help." Shortly after, there were leadership misunderstandings between Garang and senior SPLA commanders, Riek Machar and Lam Akol in August 1991. The splinter group led by Machar and Akol was named the SPLA-Nasir . This resulted in Dinka Massacre which raged civilians and exposed

4465-711: The SPLM/A in 2002. Following the end of the Second Sudanese Civil War in 2005, Machar was made Vice President of the Southern Sudan Autonomous Region with Garang's successor Salva Kiir Mayardit as President. Following the South's gaining of independence in 2011, Machar became Vice President of the independent republic of South Sudan with Kiir as President. In February 2020, Machar was re-sworn in as first vice president following

4560-498: The SSIM and SPLA, which had taken several thousands of civilian lives, were temporarily suspended. Machar dismissed Kerubino Kuanyin and Commander William Nyuon Bany from the SSIM on the basis that they had signed military and political agreements with the government of Sudan late in the previous year, and that they had attempted to form a government-supported faction in the SSIM. During the 1990s Machar skillfully developed support among

4655-570: The Sudanese government and the head of the SPLA blamed the weather for the accident. There are, however, doubts as to whether this was the true cause, especially among the rank and file of the SPLA. Yoweri Museveni, the Ugandan President, stated that the possibility of "external factors" having played a role could not be eliminated. The SPLM/SPLA Rumbek crisis, which took place in Rumbek from November 29 to December 1, 2004; one month before

4750-523: The Sudanese government that he was going to this meeting and therefore, did not take the presidential plane. In fact, Garang had said he was going to spend the weekend in New Cush , a small village near the Kenyan borders founded by Garang himself. To this day, neither the identity of any other participants at the meeting nor its purpose is known. After the helicopter had been missing for more than 24 hours,

4845-472: The US Congress hosted a meeting between Garang and Machar. The two seemed to agree about various subjects related to a cease fire and reconciliation between the two factions, self-determination and opposition to the Khartoum regime, but Machar disputed Garang's authority and refused to sign a joint declaration. Machar dismissed Lam Akol from the SPLA-United in February 1994. Lam Akol returned to Kodok in

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4940-424: The Ugandan president notified the Sudanese government, which in turn contacted the SPLM for information. The SPLM responded that the helicopter Garang was taking had landed safely at an old SPLA training camp. The Sudanese state television duly reported this. A few hours later, Abdel Basset Sabdarat, Sudan's Information Minister, then appeared on TV to refute the earlier report that Garang's helicopter landed safely. It

5035-678: The United States. Furthermore, Nuer in the United States observe family obligations by sending money for those still in Africa. Some important Nuer politicians were, Böth Diew who was the first Nuer, and South Sudan Politician from 1947 followed by Gai Tut. In the Military is Bol Nyawan who fought against the Khartoum government in Bentiu ; he was killed in 1985 by the current president of Sudan. Commander Ruai and Liah Diu Deng were responsible for

5130-417: The attack that forced Chevron to suspend activities in the oil field around 1982. Most Nuer people are nicknamed after their cattle. The boys usually chose the name of their favorite cattle based on the form and color of the ox. The girls are named after the cows that they milk. Sometimes the cow names are passed down. Oil exploration and drilling began in 1975 and 1976 by companies such as Chevron. In 1979

5225-505: The cattle that are up in age or dying because of sickness. But even if they do so, they all gather together to perform rituals, dances, or songs before and after they slaughter the cattle. Never do they just kill cattle for the fun of it. "Never do Nuer slaughter animals solely because of the desire to eat meat. There is the danger of the ox’s spirit visiting a curse on any individual who would slaughter it without ritual intent, aiming only to use it for food. Any animal that dies of natural causes

5320-415: The cattle's dung and urine. The dung is chopped into pieces and left out to harden, then used for containers, toothpaste, or even to protect the cattle themselves by burning it to produce more smoke, keeping insects away to prevent disease. The Nuer people never eat cattle just because they want to. Cattle are very sacred to them, therefore when they do eat cattle they honor its ghost. They typically just eat

5415-515: The cause, under his command, occurred in July 1985 with the SPLA’s incursion into Kordofan. The SPLA gained the backing of Libya, Uganda, and Ethiopia. Garang and his army controlled a large part of the southern regions of the country, named "New Sudan". He claimed his troops' courage came from "the conviction that we are fighting a just cause. That is something North Sudan and its people don't have." Critics suggested financial motivations to his rebellion, noting that much of Sudan's oil wealth lies in

5510-420: The ceremony when his country's flag was raised outside United Nations headquarters in New York. Following the independence of South Sudan , Machar was the vice president of the country. In 2012, he publicly apologized for his part in the Bor massacre as he prepared to pave way for taking the helm of SPLM. By February 2013 Machar publicly stated his intentions to challenge President Kiir. In July 2013, he, and

5605-415: The children of one’s kin and neighbors. He also observed that, "The network of kinship ties which links members of local communities is brought about by the operation of exogamous rules, often stated in terms of cattle." This is never thought to be the sole responsibility of the child's parents." Cattle are judged by how much milk they can produce which is a necessity in their culture. If possible they create

5700-412: The deep ethnic divides within the SPLA. The Southern Sudanese communities became more divided than ever before in their history. These organic divides among the Southern Sudanese communities were exacerbated by the deliberate "divide and rule" policies instituted by the regimes in Khartoum, in order to maintain their power over the Southern Sudanese peoples. SPLA-Nasir accused Garang of ruling by force, in

5795-571: The early 2000s. The struggle for oil production was not only manifested in north–south fight, but also in Nuer-Dinka and many internal conflicts among Nuer. As part of Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), 50 percent of net revenues of southern oil fields were given to the government of southern Sudan as a solution to one of the sources of decades of civil conflict. • Katarzyna Grabska 2014 " Gender, identity home: Nuer repatriation to Southern Sudan ," James Currey: Oxford. John Garang Dr. John Garang De Mabior (June 23, 1945 – July 30, 2005)

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5890-431: The eastern Nuer, the Jikany and the Lou, taking advantage of SPLA unpopularity with the Jikany and drawing on prophetic tradition to make his case. In 1996 Machar signed a Political Charter and in 1997 the Khartoum Peace Agreement with the government. Under this agreement he was assistant to Omar el-Bashir , President of Sudan, and President of the Southern States Coordinating Council. He was also made commander in chief of

5985-436: The entire cabinet, was dismissed from office. Machar said that Kiir's move was a step towards dictatorship. These events in turn led to the South Sudanese Civil War . After the civil war started, Machar turned towards a "shadowy" group of European arms dealers to arm his forces. Little is known about them. An exception was the Franco-Polish arms dealer Pierre Dadak who at the time of his arrest at Ibiza villa on 14 July 2016

6080-438: The excess of milk into cheese. But if a family’s herd cannot produce the amount of milk a family needs then they turn to others around them to give them what they need. It’s seen as their responsibility to step in and help the family since it’s not really their fault on how much their cattle can produce. The entire Nuer society is basically watching after each other, for example, as Evans-Pritchard noted that, "When one household has

6175-478: The first oil production took place in the southern regions of Darfur. In the early 1980s when the north–south war was happening, Chevron was interested in the reserves in the south. In 1984 guerrillas of SPLA (Sudan People's Liberation Army) attacked the drilling site of the north at Bentiu. In return, Chevron cleared Nuer and Dinka people in the oil fields area to ensure security for their operations. The Nuer-Dinka struggle in oil fields continued in late 1990s into

6270-415: The forehead with a razor, often with a dip in the lines above the nose. Dotted patterns are also common (especially among the Bul Nuer and among females). Some Nuer have begun practicing circumcision after being assimilated or partially assimilated in other ethnic groups. The Nuer are not historically known to circumcise, but sometimes circumcise people who have engaged in incest. Typical foods eaten by

6365-506: The founders of the SPLM but had fallen out with John Garang and had been jailed. They escaped and joined Machar in 1993, with their forces making an important addition to the formerly Nuer-dominated SPLA-Nasir. Kerubino became deputy Commander in Chief. After this addition by forces from other ethnic groups, Riek's movement and force was called the SPLA-United from 1993 to 1994. In September 1993, President Daniel Arap Moi of Kenya held separate talks with Garang and Riek Machar. In October 1993

6460-411: The government-held region of Upper Nile state. From 1994 to 1997 Machar's movement was known as the South Sudan Independence Movement/Army (SSIM/A). Although seeking independence for South Sudan, the group received covert support from the Government of Sudan as it fought the SPLA between 1991 and 1999 in attacks that became increasingly violent and ethnically motivated. Early in 1995 hostilities between

6555-425: The higher ground. They might also turn to millet when the cattle are performing well enough to support their family. To a Nuer individual, his parents and siblings are not considered mar (blood relatives) kin. He doesn't refer to them as kin. To him they are considered gol which is far more intimate and significant. There are kinship categories in the Nuer society. Those categories depend on the payment to them. There

6650-468: The highest number in Texas at 17 percent of the refugee population from Sudan. The Nuer refugees in the United States and those in Africa continue to observe their social obligations to one another. They use different means ranging from letters to new technologically advanced communication methods in order to stay connected to their families in Africa. Nuer in the United States provide assistance for family members' paperwork to help their migration process to

6745-407: The lesser spirits, while there are also spirits associated with clan-spears names such as WiW, a spirit of war, associated with thunder. Nuer believe that when a man or a woman dies, the flesh, the life and the soul separate. The flesh is committed to the earth, while the breath or life goes back to God (Kuoth). The soul that signifies the human individuality and personality remains alive as a shadow or

6840-420: The many existing ethnic factions present within the nation but, rather, to collectively renounce the belief that Black African-ness, Islam, or Christianity were to be the ultimate defining characteristics of Sudan. Rather, he willed that citizens should embrace all cultures of Sudan, including the creation of further pagan involvement into Sudanese life, a policy embraced by many of Sudan's elite, and to unify under

6935-513: The military academy in Wadi Sayedna 21 km from the centre of Omdurman where he instructed the cadets for more than four years. Later he was nominated to serve in the military research department at Army HQ in Khartoum . Garang coined the philosophy of "Sudanism" which would be the guiding philosophy to a secular and multiethnic New Sudan . He believed, for the people of Sudan to live in cohesion, they must not separate themselves into

7030-477: The modern world. His body was flown to New Cush, a southern Sudanese settlement near the scene of the crash, where former rebel fighters and civilian supporters gathered to pay their respects to Garang. Garang's funeral took place on August 3 in Juba . His widow, Rebecca Nyandeng De Mabior , promised to continue his work stating: In our culture we say "if you kill the lion, you see what the lioness will do". Both

7125-515: The one commonality they all share, being Sudanese and coming from a background of Judaism, Christianity and Paganism. In 1983, Garang went to Bor and southern government soldiers in Battalion 105 who were resisting being rotated to posts in the north. However, he was not among the officers in the Southern command arranging for the defection of Battalion 105 to the anti government rebels, but he

7220-413: The premier in southern Sudan. This administration had limited autonomy for six years, at the end of which there would be a scheduled referendum regarding secession. No Christian or southerner had ever held such a high government post. Commenting after this ceremony, Garang stated, "I congratulate the Sudanese people, this is not my peace or the peace of al-Bashir, it is the peace of the Sudanese people." In

7315-498: The rank of captain to colonel after taking the Infantry Officers Advanced Course at Fort Benning , Georgia , United States. During this period he took four years academic leave and received a Master's degree in agricultural economics from Iowa State University (ISU). In 1981, he earned a PhD in Economics from Iowa State University (ISU). By 1983, Garang was serving as a senior instructor in

7410-481: The semi-nomadic lifestyle. They also have a culture of counting only older members of the family. For example, the Nuer believe that counting the number of cattle one has could result in misfortune and prefer to report fewer children than they have. Their South Sudan counterparts are the Horn peninsula's westernmost Horners. The Nuer people are said to have originally been a section of the Dinka people that migrated out of

7505-551: The signing of the CPA is also believed to have been a factor relevant to John Garang's death. While the Sudanese people followed the Naivasha peace talks closely, with high hopes of freedom and democratic transformation, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) was rife with rumors and accusations of conspiracy relating to the removal of SPLM deputy Chairman, Salva Kiir Mayardit , and his replacement with

7600-660: The south of the country. In early 1991, Mengistu Haile Mariam 's regime (in Ethiopia) was overthrown by the Khartoum-backed Ethiopian rebels ( Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front ). Upon the rebels’ seizure of the government, they closed all SPLA training camps in Ethiopia and cut off the SPLA's arms supply, forcing the SPLA to return hundreds of thousands of Sudanese back to South Sudan . This disrupted military operations and leadership within

7695-501: The symbolic and ritual importance previously held by cattle. The people speak the Nuer language / Thoknath which belongs to the Nilo-Saharan language phylum . The Nuer receive facial markings (called gaar ) as part of their initiation into adulthood. The pattern of Nuer scarification varies within specific subgroups. The most common initiation pattern among males consists of six parallel horizontal lines which are cut across

7790-512: The way into the western fringes of Ethiopia , displacing and absorbing many Dinka, Anyuak and Burun in the process. British colonial expansion in the region during the 19th century greatly halted the Nuers' aggressive territorial expansion against the Dinka and Anyuak. There are different accounts of the origin of the conflict between the Nuer and the Dinka, South Sudan's two largest ethnic groups. Anthropologist Peter J. Newcomer suggests that

7885-625: The wife's patrilineage enable the male children of that patrilineage to marry and thereby ensure the continuity of her patrilineage. An infertile woman can even take a wife of her own, whose children, biologically fathered by men from other unions, then become members of her patrilineage, and she is legally and culturally their father, allowing her to metaphorically participate in reproduction. Nuer life revolves around cattle , which has made them pastoralist , but they are known to sometimes resort to horticulture as well, especially when their cattle are threatened by disease. Due to seasonal harsh weather,

7980-488: The young Nhial Deng Nhial . Nhial Deng Nhial was the son of the famous leader of the southern Sudanese, William Deng Nhial , who had been assassinated by the Sudanese army in 1968. William Deng Nhial had led the Sudan African National Union (SANU) in exile, but had returned to Sudan to take part in the 1968 elections, shortly before he was killed. It has been reported that Salva Kiir disagreed with

8075-558: Was Yasir Arman, the SPLA/M spokesperson, who had told the government that Garang's plane had landed safely and his intention, in doing so, was to buy time for internal succession arrangements within the SPLA, before Garang's death was to be declared. Garang's helicopter crashed on Friday and he remained 'missing' throughout Saturday. During this time, the government believed he was still resolving his affairs in Southern Sudan. Finally,

8170-467: Was a Sudanese politician and revolutionary leader. From 1983 to 2005, he led the Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M, Now known as South Sudan People's Defense Forces ) as a commander in chief during the Second Sudanese Civil War . He served as First Vice President of Sudan for three weeks, from the comprehensive peace agreement of 2005 until his death in a helicopter crash on July 30, 2005. A developmental economist by profession, Garang

8265-473: Was able to visit his family, which was based in Britain, for the first time since the civil war started. In 1990 Machar was based at Leer. Later he was appointed SPLA Regional Commander for a region that extended from the Ethiopian border in the east to Renk in the north and to Ayod and Waat in the south. Machar disagreed with the SPLA leader John Garang over objectives. Where John Garang at first wanted

8360-729: Was called the SPLM/A-Nasir faction from 1991 to 1993. As part of SPLA-Nasir , he was involved in the Bor massacre , where 2000 mostly civilians were killed in Bor in 1991 while tens of thousands died in the following years from the resulting famine . The Bul Nuer Anyanya-2 militia at Mayom under Paulino Matip and the Lou Nuer Anyanya-2 militia at Doleib Hill under Yohannes Yual declared for Riek. Kerubino Kuanyin and Faustino Atem Gualdit, Dinkas from Bahr el-Ghazal, had been among

8455-493: Was continually underplayed." Cattle are particularly important in their role as bride wealth, where they are given by a husband's lineage to his wife's lineage. This exchange of cattle ensures that the children will be considered to belong to the husband's lineage. The classical Nuer institution of ghost marriage, in which a man can "father" children after his death, is based on this definition of relations of kinship and descent by cattle exchange. In their turn, cattle given over to

8550-677: Was either imprisoned or killed". Under his leadership, the SPLA was accused of human rights abuses. The ideological profile of SPLA was as shadowy as Garang himself. He varied from Marxism to drawing support from Christian fundamentalists in the US. The United States State Department argued that Garang's presence in the government would have helped solve the Darfur conflict in western Sudan, but others consider these claims "excessively optimistic". U.S. President George W. Bush , who supported South Sudanese independence, especially considered Garang to be

8645-466: Was finally put down in mid-2006, though a successor organization self-styling itself as a White Army formed in 2011 to fight the Murle tribe (see 2011–2012 South Sudan tribal clashes ), as well as the Dinka and UNMISS . Cattle have historically been of the highest symbolic, religious and economic value to the Nuer. Sharon Hutchinson writes that "among Nuer people the difference between people and cattle

8740-434: Was negotiating to sell Machar 40,000 AK-47 assault rifles, 30,000 PKM machine guns and 200,000 boxes of ammunition. In late August 2015, a peace agreement was signed between the government and Machar's rebels. The agreement would make Riek Machar the vice-president again. In April 2016, as part of the peace deal, Machar returned to Juba and was sworn in as vice-president. Machar fled the capital after renewed fighting between

8835-670: Was one of the major influences on the movement that led to the foundation of South Sudan ’s independence from the rule of Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir . Garang was a member of the Dinka ethnic group. He was born into a poor family in Wangulei village Twic East County in the Upper Nile region of Sudan. An orphan by the age of ten, he had his fees for school paid by a relative, going to schools in Wau and then Rumbek . In 1962 he joined

8930-429: Was supporting the revolution. When the 105 Battalion attacked Sudanese army in Bor on 16 May 1983 under the command of Major Kerubino Kuanyin Bol, who was the leader of the budding movement which launched an impromptu attack, Garang rode by an alternative route to join them in the rebel stronghold in Ethiopia. Major Kerubino Kuanyin Bol and William Nyuon Bany Machar led Battalion 105 and 107 in Bor and Ayot, respectively. As

9025-645: Was under house arrest in South Africa . His house arrest status was lifted in March 2018. Machar's house confinement in South Africa was also criticized by the media. Machar returned to Juba in October 2018 following a peace deal that was signed in September 2018. As of May 2019 he was living in Khartoum, the capital of South Sudan's northern neighbor Sudan, following a six-month delay in the implementation of

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