The Dinka Malual of South Sudan’s Northern Bahr el-Ghazal and the Arab Rezeigat of Sudan’s East Darfur have recommitted to promoting peaceful coexistence and border trade.
Speaking to this publication last Friday, several peacemakers and monitors from the two communities expressed their willingness to promote peace and commercial activities with the hope of strengthening their relations and boosting the fight against crime along the border.
The Rezeigat trade representative in the Bahr el-Arab in Sudan’s East Darfur State, Mohammed Taha, said the peace committee members were doing their best to ensure the smooth movement of transit goods.
Taha noted that different ethnicities were living in the area in peace, stating that the Dinka constituted an estimated 60% of the border merchants and dwellers.
“Our Peace Committee is now based on the peaceful Rezeigat Market Zone that accommodates around 600 merchants from the Dinka Malual, the Arab Rezeigat and other ethnicities, more than 60% of which are South Sudanese,” Taha noted.
“We exchange a variety of goods between Sudan and South Sudan and our trade activities are managed by our leaders who are the eyewitnesses and the grantors of the border agreements and the level of the social fabric between us and our Dinka Malual counterparts,” he rated.
The Chairperson of the Dinka Malual Joint Border Peace Committee in Aweil North, West and Center counties in Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State, Anguei Noon Atak, said their relations were cemented through trade and the free flow of goods.
“Our relations are connected with goods that we exchange, including sugar, onions, Sudanese groundnuts, cooking oil and livestock,” said Atak.
“In the previous years, we (Dinka Malual) used to import sugar and other stuff from Sudan, but now we export these items to the Rezeigat in return for livestock, onions and cooking oil, among others,” he added.
Livestock trader Adam Babikir testified about the peaceful treatment he was accorded while in Dinkaland.
“I am a cattle trader from al-Daein in Sudan’s East Darfur State and I have arrived in Northern Bahr el-Ghazal with livestock and I am proceeding to Wau,” he said.
“There is no ill will on the road except the floods problem. Thank God, our brothers, the Dinka have shown us a good recognition in Kiir Adem, Gokmachar and Malek Miir,” the herder testified.
Local peace analyst and the Executive Director for Peace Culture Society (PCS) in Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State, Wek Garang, commended the historic ties between the two communities.
Their social and trade ties plus the free border movement have cemented the positive community cohesion, Garang emphasized.
“Historically, the Dinka Malual and the Rezeigat have been connected by commercial, social and clan ties,” said Garang.
“The trade movement has also been a backbone for the peace drive and this has not happened by chance. It came as a result of positive peace culture portrayed by the two communities,” he added.