For Whom is Gatluak Boum Pal fighting?

  For whom is Gatlauk Boum Pal fighting?

To answer these simple questions, we need to examine the brief history of this man. Here's my attempt. As a hardened politician, Gatluak Boum Pal has been involved in local politics for several years. Due to his tribalistic tendencies, he has always been known as a troublemaker. The assumption that Gatluak was a well-regarded politician today is sheer nonsense. And such analytical nonsense flies against the winds of truth. Gatluak Boum Pal was neither a well-known politician nor a genuine guerilla fighter politician fighting for liberation, nor was he opposed to federal interference in Gambella matters. Nevertheless, Gatluak is a committed separatist, suffering from a different political viewpoint. In reality, the Gambella Liberation Front (GPLF) that he has created is not a national movement involving all the nationalities of Gambella, but a tribalistic paramilitary organization bent on destroying Anyukland. Gatluak Boum Pal has repeatedly warned, threatening Gambella regional authorities from his bush hideout. Yet the Gambellan authorities responsible for his unpunished behavior ignored his repeated warnings until recently, when his guerillas invaded and caused havoc in the town. But they had been defeated, crashed and chased away. It is important to note that Gatluak Boum Pal has remained a thorn in their side despite the efforts of the regional security apparatus. Since his Guerilla movement had nothing to do with the federal government, he would return to hell ready for him; this time even the flies would not have wings to fly, let alone the starving guerilla who are demanding food wherever they go at gunpoint. Let them try. The Gambella security force have been efficiently armed, locked and ready for combat than ever. For a long time, the law abiding Anyuaks, the rest of the Gambellan communities, were slaughtered like goats, but now they are standing up and fighting back. So, the Gambellan are saying this time around bring it on. And if they do, they will be met outside the gate by the security forces of Gambella. This time, the Gambellan security forces will confront them outside the town's perimeter, not inside. No kidding, the bushes will be combed for those who have escaped and those captured would be, quarantined somewhere where there are no civilizational elements. Eventually, the swamps will be drained, flushed down, since the security forces know his guerilla movement hideouts, whereabouts. Alternatively, should he run into the Sudanese desert I believe, he will not survive a day. Gatluak Boum Pal is a converted South Sudanese, not of Ethiopian heritage, who is not grateful for what his new country has given him at not a price at all. He sees Anyuak support for the Government in power as a threat to his outlaw movement. Gatluak has also had pent-up grievances against the Anyuak for questioning his tribal identity, citizenship, and belonging. Yes, the Anyuak questioned Nuer historical status of origin openly, in the public domain, it's no longer hidden nor secret anymore. He is under the immense radar of suspicion by the Anyuak, they regard him and his pariah movement as dangerous to the security of the Gambella state. Adding up this, the Anyuak think of Gatluak upping up to something deep, full of devilish evil designs. They know it from Gatluak's past- political activities. Not long Gatluak's evil spirit goal was to fight for the annexation Gambella, ceded it to Sudan or declare it a separate Nat country. A recent string of bellicose statements from Pal's hideouts has threatened Gambellan safety, as his movements have typically been terroristic in nature. A troublemaker, Pal, believes that terrorism is the only means of subduing the entire regional security system and ultimately defeating Gambella's resolve. The recent fight, defeat of the terrorist organized elements in Gambella has, however, demonstrated to the people of Gambella the importance of unity in the face of adversity. Gatluak, however, wounded from political, military defeat, he has now embarked upon cheap propaganda, of which he had schooled himself with

copying Zelensky's of Ukraine toothless political propaganda playbook spreading false disinformation to pit the Gambella community against one another. Nevertheless, despite his attempts to divide and cut our community, our united front has shown a remarkable unity that is crucial to maintaining the state's safety and security. It involves controlling and maintaining disruption sources. 

Until recently, some of us have argued that we are dying helplessly without fighting back. They say we always flee from problems, that we have lost our significance as a people because we have not fought back. However, they were mistaken. Despite the importance of the Anyuak in history of resistance against historical enemies, the Anyuak of today lack the firepower or the traditional tools handed down to them by their forefathers to protect them. For years, there was a lack of leadership in the cultural institutions. The Anyuak new generation found themselves without the institutional leadership that their forefathers left behind because the So-called Progressives abolished many cultural institutions for the sake of modernity many years ago. Hence, the recent restorative initiative that encourages the rebirth of historic institutions that have contributed to our way of life for decades has been positively commendable, such an idea must be encouraged to flourish, expanded and implemented through social reengineering and rehabilitative social measures everywhere. And they are already prospering and flourishing in some parts of our country. And more should be encouraged, planted, grow more. Fortunately, that doubting argument by some of our compatriots has been settled by the recent defeat of the terrorist groups called the GLF and the OLF. The Anyuak have been lacking firepower, stupid! Thank God, we have restored those elements and regained our fighting spirits. It is my hope that we will regain all the respect we lost as a result of our heroic efforts.  

 Namphili Otho Gilo is the author of this article