‘Greater Twic East’: An Unnecessary and Needless Belligerence

You don’t have to respond to every nonsense written about you. And whether or not people respect you will depend on the services you offer to your people not that you respond to every filth written about Twi. Stop responding to every divine ignorance of a few.  

So stop it!

This is in reference to your ‘Press Release’ (SSNA) dated July 5, 2014: “Greater Twic East Youth in USA response to recently released article by Jangdit Dengajok )

‘Greater Twic East’ and ‘Greater Bor Community’ are all nonsense. You can’t replace one nonsense with another! The future of your people is in working together, exchanging ideas and expertise to develop your counties: Bor, Duk and Twi. Twi County might benefit from experts from Bor and Duk Counties and vice versa.

What you are actually doing is an embarrassment to Twi people. It’s exactly the opposite of what your intentions are.

It’s obvious that to distinguish between things is very much different from separation of things. That means you can distinguish things but still keep them together.  You can say Bor starts from Jueet to Abiy and Twi is from Chir to Adhiook. That’s neither separation nor is it division. It’s purely distinction.

While the Jieeng of the present Twi County of Jonglei state has every right to reassert and correct the reality and identity that’s been distorted by politicians for their political gains, I don’t think it’s necessary to antagonize people of Bor Country. It’s an uncalled for and unnecessary creation of enmity.

They are not your problem! Blame Twi leaders and elders if you are to blame anyone!

The people of Bor County have not done anything bad to the people of Twi County. All the bad things uttered against Twi people were uttered by individuals not Bor County as a whole.

Besides, you have to note that it was the British colonial administration that placed the Twi people under an administrative district named after Bor people. So it wasn’t the Bor people’s fault that you were placed under a district that didn’t carry your name and it wasn’t Bor people’s fault that your ancestors didn’t raise that objection then. Twi is its own problem. No excuse!

I understand that you have the right to tell everyone that Twi and Bor are two distinct dialectal or ethno-linguistic groups, however, it’s unnecessary and pointless to try to create a conflict no one needs. I’ve always reiterated that I’m not Bor and have never been Bor; however, I’ve always maintained that Bor and Twi share a common history and good neighborliness that we should always foster. They’ve always done things together and they’ll continue to do things together.

Any attempt that assumes that each of them will go its separate way is being delusional. Being called collectively as ‘Dinka Bor’ is not the prerequisite for togetherness. That being called Dinka Bor or GBC is a prerequisite for coexistence is another delusion! However, coexistence is an absolute necessity in spite of any differences: accentual or dialectal. Saying that Twi is not Bor is not being divisive; it’s what truth-seeking requires; however, you shouldn’t use that to create needless conflicts.

You can emphasize to South Sudanese and the world that Twi is not Dinka Bor; however, it would be unfair to Bor people for you to pretend they are your problem when your problems are your leaders. Focus on your leaders on the national and local levels.

I write about these stuff because I have to write something that’s not only sensible but also supportably true. This is also about the truth of the people I belong to and no sane writer can ignore such a thing. I can’t correct national issues when I can’t start by correcting things at my locality!

And I say I’m not ‘Dinka Bor’ because that’s the truth I knew and I can now authenticate historically and convincingly, but I cannot, and will never say, that Bor and Twi go their separate ways. Every sane Bor and Twi person knows this.

They are brothers and sisters and will remain so in spite of their ethno-linguistic realities. There has to be respect between the two communities.

Calling Twi people Dinka Bor is disrespectful, I know, but it’s not a ground for antagonizing Bor people. Just let them know who you are. If they continue to call you what you are not then just know that falsity never endure.

If you want to respond to Bor people who continue to call Twi people ‘Dinka Bor’ then you have to do it with utmost respect and class. Yes, there are ignorant Bor people who still believe that Dinka Bor is a collective name for Twi, Duk and Bor County. These people should be helped not antagonized. No falsity has ever succeeded in history. Ignorance should be corrected not condemned.

So I advise you to stop this nonsense and forge a good working relationship with the Bor people. They already know that you are different. A few who deny it will come to the fold with time. And let them know that being different isn’t a ground for parting ways.

Your greatest honor will be in telling Bor people, with the greatest respect, that you’ve never been Bor and you’ll never be, however, you’d want to work together to develop your counties. The greatest enemies of Twi people are the Flood and Twi leaders. Bor people are not your problem, have never been your problem and will never be your problem.  This is my advice to the so called ‘Greater Twic East.’

-       Unite your divided leadership in North America. Good leaders lead by example.
-        Encourage Twi leaders in South Sudan to stop hiding behind the nonsensical ‘Greater Bor Community.’ I know GBC is pure nonsense but I still believe creating an informed and respectful working relationship is an absolute necessity.
-       Help in putting down strong modalities for the development of your counties. Twi people have been neglected by Twi leaders and the government.
-       Create a good working relationship with Bor County and Duk County people. You’ll be better respected if you create and foster a good working relationship.

Anyone who calls Twi people Dinka Bor is just being ignorant or spiteful; however, we need to inform these people. We go to school to learn new things and new methods we can use to help our people. Anyone who writes that Dinka Bor is a collective name for Duk County, Twi County and Bor County is either being ignorant or unjustifiably disrespectful. However, we need to see these people as folks to be informed not hated or antagonized. Ignorance is pitied and corrected not punished!

Stop being Fox News and start being leaders!