Bor intellectuals accuse army generals of inciting division

Twic East Intellectuals in Juba on Saturday warned military generals and politicians against meddling in community affairs.

The warning came following growing disagreement over the naming of by the ethnic Dinka community “Jieng de Jonglei” by the Dinka who hail from Bor town of Jonglei State.

Yai Joseph Mayen, Representative of Twic East intellectuals cautioned army generals against politicizing the issue of Jieng de Jonglei for their personal gains.

“We condemn the politicization of community for political ascendency to power or positions by certain individuals who are manufacturing anti slogans of “Twic East, Jieng de Jonglei and Pan Bor community Associations,” Mayen told journalists during a press conference held in Juba on Saturday.

Some people opposing the name “Jieng De Jonglei” prefer being referred to as “Greater Bor Community” which has been there for the past years.

Mayen advised the two opposed camps to desist from spreading hate speech on social media.

“We the intellectuals of Twic East County community residing in Juba condemn the unnecessary escalation of issues within the Greater Bor Community especially when such disputes are so trivial and anchored around a narrow identity issues,” said Mayen.

“As intellectuals who are well versed in history and political knowledge, we would like to make it very clear that we are and we belong to Greater Bor community or people,” he added.

He stressed the need to have an extraordinary meeting of Greater Bor Community to discuss what he called “unnecessary schism.”

Mayen proposed this extraordinary meeting to be chaired by Dr. Lual Achuek Deng and other neutral personalities who are either holding community or political office.