The map is used for illustration only |courtesy: MSF|
By Kor Chop Leek
Special Opinion Article—The purpose of this article is a brief history of Barmach Payam of Ulang County, its local inhabitants and the communities sharing borders with it.
It illustrates a clear geographical description of Barmach Payam. The development of this article came as a result of gubernatorial order issued by Hon. Denay Jock Chagor, the Governor of Jonglei State dated 15th April 2024 in a letter titled “The reactivation of Barmach Payam in Akobo West”.
Hon. Denay expressed in the same letter to the sitting Commissioner of Akobo, Hon. Puok Nyang Tutjiek that Barmach Payam was among the Payams created in Jonglei State in 2005 and that its populations have no access to Boung and Walgak.
In his conclusion, Governor Denay directed the Commissioner of Akobo to implement the order with immediate effect prior to its issuance. The objective of the move is an attempt to solidify the baseless claim that Barmach Payam is typically a Lou-Nuer soil.
Understanding the originality of Barmach, why it is not a disputed land between Ulang and Akobo, and why Governor Denay’s order is a misplaced move, is the prime objective of this article.
The name Barmach in this paper will be cited on multiple occasions for better interpretation as the main character of the subject matter.
Geographically, Barmach is situated on the west bank of the River Sobat northwest of Ulang Town to the east bank of Sobat.
It borders Nyangore Payam to the South divided by Koor Nyandiing, Ying Payam to the northeast, and Doma to the north. It borders Nyirol and Akoba west to the southwest. (Visit the map of South Sudan).
In other words, the boundary of Ulang County and its villages (The current Payams) is well visible on the map of Sudan in 1956 and that of South Sudan in 2011 (Visit the Maps of South Sudan and Sudan).
Barmach Payam and Ulang Town are divided by River Sobat. It has two major routes to Ulang Town. The first route is by land which is only accessible during the dry season.
The people cross River Sobat at Barmach on the west bank to the seasonal cattle camp of Lim-Nuer, Guicturol, Ghal to the east bank and cross to Jogge Swamps to Rubkeem and then to Ulang Town.
The second route is through the River Sobat from Barmach, it passes via Wunkuel, Nyingook, Wech-Deng-Nyaang which lies on the west bank, and to Ulang Town while Ghal, Lim-Nuer, Guicturol, Chatyier Nhial Geaw, Wech-Nguop Chiendeang lays to the east bank of River Sobat adjacent to Chamguuk and Nyelire swamps west of Ulang Town.
The distance between Barmach and Ulang is approximately 5 km (approximately 4 miles) with approximately 25 minutes an hour by footing during the dry season when taking a shot cut through Jogge swamps to Rubkeem and 5 minutes by a speed boat to Ulang Town.
Historically, Barmach was created during the time of the Jikany Migration from Bentiu believed to be around the 1840s not during the time of British colonial rule in Sudan. With the beginning of modern civilization, some installations were built such as its tall aerial (at that time, the community used to call it Silik Barmach) erected at the River Bank of Sobat that can be seen in far distance from Ulang Town and other places.
Old structures built with red bricks were destroyed during the Sudan Civil War can be seen in Barmach. Its old structures were believed to have been built during the 1972 agreement which gave the South an autonomous self-rule at that time under the late President Jaffer Nimiri regime.
Barmach is one of the important historical places in Gonyaar of Chie-Both-Kor Country with extraordinary fame even today. It is located in a strategic commercial center, putting it at a meeting point of five major routes linked to it.
The route coming from Machom to the north, the route coming from the west via Tharleel Nyandiing, the route coming from Nyangore to the South, the land route crossing to Sobat to Rubkeem, and the River route.
Before the outbreak of civil war in 1983, Steamers do come from Malakal all the way from the Sudanese Capital Khartoum, and do stationed at Barmach for a few hours to offload some goods for her local merchants operating and practicing trades before starting off to Ulang Town than proceed to Nasir and Malual Ghahoth.
It emerged as a visible mini-town center connecting the Chie-Both-Kor of Gonyaar and Chie-Guandong of Nyangore during the time of Khartoum’s successive governments and at present.
In 2005, Ulang was created as an Independent County from Nasir under the auspices of a Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) with four (4) Payams but again increased to eight (8) Payams which Barmach is one of them (read CSRF Report 2021). During the floods of 2021, about 141 households (HHs) and 705 individuals from Wunbut, Ngomchuk villages of Barmach were affected and moved to Ulang Town. (Read ADRA Report Nov 2021 published by Reliefweb).
In 2010, during the general elections, only four (4) Payams officially registered by the National Bureau of Statistics. These Payams were Doma, Ying, Yomding, and Kurmuot (visit South Sudan Statistical Year Book 2010). The rest of the Payams including Barmach were merged with the registered ones.
This adsorption made Barmach Payam data not visible as an Independent Payam. It was later learned that Barmach was secretly active as a Payam under Akoba whose data appeared in Akoba West. (Read South Sudan Bureau of Statistics Year Book 2010). The same was detected with the Civil Registry, Nationalities, Immigration, and Passports.
Socially, Barmach is a land of Chie-Both-Kor sub-clan of Chie-Kor settled mostly by a clan of Chie-Dhuor Bang. Chie-dhuor comprises of Chie-nyehook, Chie-man-hothnyaang, Chie-man-Jal, Chie-nyakoac, and Chie-joak. According to the distribution of their settlement, Chie-joak sub-clans live in the heartland of Barmach, Panom (or Dee-wec Panom Chiedhuor) is inhabited by Chie-man-Jal, Jagge for Chie-man Nyakoac, Kuerbol for Chie-nyehook, Tharleel Nyandiing is occupied by Chie-man-hothnyaang.
According to Nuer leadership Chieftaincy, Chiedhuor is governed by five headmen (Gaatuni) and one Sub-Chief (Khar in Nuer) within Chie-Both-Kor.
Back in the history of the migration of Jikany from Bentiu in the 18th Century to the east bank of the Nile (The present-day Sobat), oral tradition had it that, Dhuor Bang and his uncle Jok who was originally from Lou Nuer migrated with Latjor Duach (nicknamed Latjor Diyian) in 1800s.
According to late Professor Gabriel Giet Jal, the migration of Jikany from Bentiu was not only the Jikany Nuer section alone who migrated with Latjor during that time.
Other clans from Gea, Jimeem, and Thiang descendants migrated with Lajor. Many clans left their relatives in Bentiu including the Jikany and other Nuer sections.
It was said that, on their (Jikany) arrival to Sobat, they split and crossed to the west bank and moved up to Bongjak. History had it that, a fatal disease outbreak occurred and killed many people and Bongjak was deserted then Gajiok (Chie-lang in Particular) moved and settled in Jikmir.
According to a community elder, Jikmiir Dhuor Bang was born in Jikmiir. Chielang moved to Kur (the present-day Kurmuot Payam) and stayed for some time with a directive from their leader “Both Kor”. That was why it was termed as “rest of Both-Kor” (Loang Both Kor).
Then some Bulbek sub-clans moved to Gerweng/Wunbarkow then later Chiedoung moved to Nyangore, to Gonyaar, and to Doma (the present-day Doma Payam) up to Lony-Deng-Yuel.
That period is believed to have clocked to more than 180 years from now (Read History of Migration of Jikany by Gebrial Giet Jal). Mun Deng Hothnyaang who hailed from Chie-Dhuor Bang was among the renowned Head Chief of Chie-Both-Kor who ruled in the past believed to be around 1970s.
Other head chiefs of Chie-Both-Kor include Puot Mut Jiar, Gach Panyuan Riek, and Gach Lul Both Gor. The current Payam Head Chief of Barmach Payam of Chie-Both is Gatwech Lel Yoh who is based in Ulang Town.
The Former Head Chief, Majiok Dhuor Duach, is also present in Ulang during the time of the development of this article.
According to the historical lineage genealogy of Chie-Both-Kor, Kor Chuol Dung is a father to Both Kor, Duoth Kor, Bilit Kor, and Kuway Kor. Chie-Both Kor is composed of the very Chie-both Kor, Chie-Bilit Kor, and their Aunt Nyapuoch Chuol, and uncle to Both’s children called Deng.
Chie-Both-Kor lives in a vast land called Gonyaar the present-day Barmach Payam while Chie-Korway-Kor composed of Chie-Korway-Kor and Chie-Duoth-Kor plus their Uncles Roth Chuol, Row Chuol and associated with their relative Gai Pon.
Other areas in Gonyenyaar include Rirnyaang, Nyetew, Manchom, Mangany, Kolome, Jinkaduk, Giatiec, Pacuey, Kebkeaw, Thorbet, Paweng, Wunbut, Boung Douth Nyoak, Tim, and Pandakon among other areas not mentioned.
In 1993/1994, a fight occurred between Jikany and Lou, this prompted former Head Chief Majiok Dhuor and some of his relatives in the Chie-Dhuor Bang sub-clan consider to migrating to Lou Nuer Land for the first time since the migration from Bentiu in an attempt to forge a new relationship with their relatives whom they separate with during the migration period.
When the hunger strike hit the area in the mid of ‘90s, the World Food Programme identified an airstrip in Akobo West with GPS named under Barmach to drop relief aid for the displaced communities who encamped in that area of Walgak bordering Barmach.
About the GPS location, it is still locating Barmach of Ulang County as part of Akobo West of Jonglie State up to today.
This prompted Jikany Nuer of Majiok Dhuor who migrated from the very area (Barmach) to Akobo West to keep claiming Barmach in Ulang as their typical home while in Walgak to solidify their present in Akobo West to avoid assimilation into the host community.
It was also learned that some part of Cheidongjaak who escaped Lou and migrated to Jikany associated with Majiok Dhuor section. Historically, Chie-Dongjaak (laterally known as Lou RialBeek) migrated to Jikany when they killed a white man nicknamed “Rialbeek”).
That was how the name was derived as Lou Rialbeek but some of Chie-Dongjaak are still in Gonyaar today.
The migration of some clans of these two communities to Akoba West contributed to the confusion that is happening today between Ulang and Akobo.
As cited above, another confusion is the present of Barmach Payam data at the National Bureau of Statistics under Akobo West, the third confusion is the appearance of Barmach Payam in the system of Civil Registry, Nationalities, Immigration and Passports under Akoba West. Those references enriched the claim of those communities who tried to cement their present in Akoba West to clinging to the ownership of Barmach Payam of Ulang even though they are Jikany.
In fact, there has never been a land dispute experienced between Chielang of Ulang and Gatliah/Jimai of Akobo since the division of Upper Nile Regions in States in the early 90s.
During the Jikany and Lou Peace Conference in Ulang County in 2009, a function which drew dignitaries of both Jikany and Lou Officials together and which was officiated by Dr. Riek Machar who was by then the Vice President of the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) before the Independent. Barmach issues were brought to light in the discussion at that conference by both communities.
On that occasion, Dr. Riek took the opportunity and lectured vividly on the fate of Barmach land and stated clearly that the land of Barmach is typically a Jikany Nuer of Ulang County’s undisputed soil. This came to the understanding and satisfaction of all the conferees of both sides which sealed the case of the Barmach claim.
Prior to the closure of the conference, the former Commissioner of Akobo, Mr. Goy Joyuul Yol wrote officially, canceling the claim of Barmach Payam. Hon. Denay cited this cancellation in his recent letter to the Commissioner of Akoba, Hon. Puok Nyang.
According to one report, Akoba West and Ulang Counties once agreed to foster peaceful coexistence by calling to end cattle raiding across their common borders. The White Army Commanders, late Mr. Solok Kuon of Ulang County and Thor Bolith of Akobo West County called on their forces to embrace peace. The conference was held on the 24th /25th of February of Barmach Payam of Ulang County officiated by General Chuol Lam Puoch, the then Governor of defunct Sobat State (Read Radio Tamazuj Report February 2018).
In conclusion, with such narrative and description, this carries the facts that Barmach Payam is indeed undisputable and the notation that there is part of Chiedhuor and Chie-Dongjaak sections who left Ulang and migrated to Lou serves them the legal right to claim the ownership of Barmach is illegal and unfounded.
This should not influence Hon. Denay’s conscious mind to act outside the law. Based on the historical evidence of Barmach, this has proven that the Jonglei top Leader is misinformed and there is a need for Hon. Denay to visit the documented sources and maps of both Ulang and Akobo Counties rather than defending on hearsay from the community.
Reference to the letters extended to Hon. Denay by the First Vice President of the Republic, Dr. Riek Machar, Hon. James Odhok Oyai, the Governor of Upper Nile State, and the leadership of Ulang Community Association in Juba, which all calls to reverse the unfounded claim of Barmach Payam as part of Akobo West, are not only geared toward amicable lasting solution between the two counties but also concerned of any insecurity among the communities of Ulang and Lou this order may trigger.
Their calls also affirmed that Barmach is the undisputable land of Ulang County of Upper Nile State.
Finally, the author is calling upon Ulang community leaders both at the grassroots and in government to make the resources and tools needed available in the presentation of the Barmach issue when necessary while considering ensuring that, the current data of Barmach reflected under Akoba West in the above-mentioned institutions need to be rectified to avoid further perplexity in the future.
The author also called up Ulang and Akobo Officials to engage themselves to address the matter amicably.
The author is a native of Ulang County. He is an Independent Researcher majoring in environment and climate Change focusing on the Sudd Wetlands and the flood-affected states. He holds a Master’s Degree in Humanitarian and Conflict Studies from the Institute of Peace, Development and Security Studies, University of Juba. He is reachable through korpuoch@gmail.com or through: +211912511115/+211921511118
