THE INTERROGATION OF THE “ACII TWI LUEL”. By Makneth Aciek

No doubt, proliferation of communal associations is one of South Sudan’s challenges today. We have seen community associations behaving like nations within a Nation! Political elites have infiltrated the leadership of these associations, and are now carrying the banners of tribalism more than the local masses. They have created tribal camps and hatred with themselves fanning the embers of disunity among communities. The enduring consequences of these politicized community organizations is a contradiction between tribal identities and citizenship.

This article questions the context under which the phrase “Acii Twi Luel” has been used. This phrase emerged during the controversial Twi East Community Global Conference (TECGC), held in Panyagor few days ago. It has ever since been used by the apologists of the said conference as a polite way to tell their critics to shut up or go to hell. The English equivalent of Acii Twi Luel is “Twi has decided”.

I have struggle to understand the social meaning of Twi East global conference. Those who pay attention to details will agree with me that it has produced a considerable amount of diffuse angst, resentment and free- floating tensions- all in search of an elusive target.

Those who attended the conference have been brandishing a phrase “Acii Twi Luel” at their fellow kinfolks, in a similar gesture the Nilotic gentleman uses a cattle-rope when threatening to punish a child. The community “slogan of togetherness” has been transformed into a slogan of resentment and intimidation; Such attitude will not resuscitate the spirit of communal solidarity.

The current usage of the Phrase has come as a nuisance or even like water torture to Twi East community as far as her unity is concerned. What people need the most at the moment is a deep conversation, but “Acii Twi Luel” has become a point in discussion beyond which further engagement is meaningless; a point where more questions or alternative opinions are seen as betrayal. This is a mob mentality at best!

Those who truly desire to change the social situation of Twi East ought first to erect the pillars of cohesion among her people, particularly the urban dwellers.

It is a common knowledge, there had been an explosion of solidarity among Twi East senior politicians in Juba. Their relationship has been characterized by jealousy and rivalry. Others have made it a career to pull down their younger ones from the ladder of power hierarchy.

We were hoping to see the ghost of their disunity exorcised in the recent reconciliation meeting in Juba, but again it has proved to be uncharacteristically immune to exorcisms. They got out of prayer room and continued with their politicking. And the events leading to conduct of Twi East community global conference must be seen in the context of an enduring pattern of political machinations in the community.

There had been a growing awareness among certain politicians that their relationship with the Centre of power at the national level has broken down, that they must finds ways to break through to a different kind of future; and the best way to achieve that is through community mobilization. These politicians have articulated the desire to change their individual predicaments as project of community empowerment, but ever since they stepped out of their role as national figures into the role of community guardians, nothing has been achieved but childish diatribes, political instrumentalization of the community and beating down of straw men.

Politics might be local as they say, however, power is not local- it is national. The TECA has limited or no power over socioeconomic issues affecting the community. What will happen as we continue shouting “Acii Twi Luel” is the expansion of structures of disunity from Juba to Panyagor. These unscrupulous politicians will confuse traditional leaders, they will break-up chiefs into opposed factions, and jeopardize the ability of traditional institutions to maintain harmony among the Payams.

What ails Twi East community the most at the moment, in my own opinion, is the integration of politics with the difficult experiences of our villages in a single image- a image which portrays victimhood. There had been programmatic attempts to sensitize the consciousness of community members to rally against certain enemy in the name of “Twi is being oppressed” (Twi Ayong). Our community is a victim of natural catastrophe (flooding), it can only be rehabilitated by time. Trying to explain her situation in term of political marginalization is dangerous; for it may lure innocent people into swallowing the bait of coup d’état.

I think the TECA needs to go back to the drawing board and reevaluate the “Acii Twi Luel” and be more persuasive. It was not long when the community declared to terminate her membership in the then Greater Bor Community association. The real meaning of that move had nothing to do with the identity of the community per se, but pure politics. It means Twi should no longer talk to the center of power in Juba via Greater Bor Community association whose leader was/is allegedly considered bias, but via Jieng de Jonglei. But now we have reached a point in time, where nothing seems to be working, Jieng de Jonglei ceased to be effective, but no replacement is in sight.

The very politicians who engineered Jieng de Jonglei are now looking more inward, and ready to talk to the Centre of legitimate Power in Juba via Panyagor. This is the driving force of Twi East community global conference; it has little or nothing to do with Twi East as a land and her people. If it were for the land and the people, every decision made should have been a fruit of inclusive and lengthy reflection.

If it were for the land and the people, the priority should have been reconciling the opposing views to a common conclusion. It should have been a platform for all Twi sons and daughters to take counsel together and reconcile their separate views in the interest of their displaced population.

I think there is a need for younger generation to know the difference between “word of an elder” (wet randiit) and the “word of a politician”. The former is a good counsel which pacify those whom it is addresses, while the latter aim is solely to intimidate and humiliate those with opposite views. The today’s “Acii Twi Luel” has been politicized, and its usage will continue to contradict the conventional wisdom of Twi elders. It will continue to generate bad-smelling and socially embarrassing wind.