07/11/2025
History Repeating Itself: Lessons from Nasir Echoing in Bor
What is unfolding today in Bor, Jonglei State, painfully mirrors the tragic events that once consumed Nasir County. The same pattern of violence, silence, and injustice that drove young men in Nasir to take up arms is now resurfacing in Bor—a haunting reminder that when justice is denied, history finds a way to repeat itself.
In Nasir, years ago, reports emerged of soldiers targeting homes that sheltered only women and children. Women were violated in front of their children; families were shattered, and lives were destroyed. Despite desperate cries for help, the response from those in authority was chilling indifference. Commanders in Nasir turned a blind eye. Appeals to the governor were dismissed. Even when the people of Nasir reached out to Juba, their pleas were ignored.
When Benjamin Bol Mel was appointed as the chief of Nasir, the community hoped for change. Instead, their attempts to reach him were met with arrogance and disdain. His reported words—“Who are they, and what do they think they are?”—echoed like a death sentence for any hope of protection. Faced with relentless humiliation and violence, the White Army, composed largely of the sons of these violated and bereaved women, saw no choice but to defend their families. The result was devastating for both sides, but the root cause lay in a government’s failure to act when its people needed it most.
Today, Bor is standing on that same dangerous edge. SSPDF soldiers have been accused of harassing women, beating civilians, and even committing acts of sexual violence at gunpoint. The same seeds of pain, anger, and desperation that once sprouted in Nasir are being sown again in Jonglei.
Can anyone truly believe that the sons of these women—the so-called Red Belt—will watch in silence while their mothers are abused and humiliated? No child can endure seeing his mother r***d, his sisters beaten, or his home violated. When the government fails to protect its people, it leaves behind a vacuum that rage and revenge inevitably fill.
The warning signs are clear. The situation in Bor is not just a local crisis; it is a national alarm bell. The silence of leadership, the indifference of institutions, and the complacency of those in power will only lead South Sudan down a familiar and painful path.
It is not too late for action.
The government must break its silence and restore justice—not only in Bor but across South Sudan. Soldiers who commit crimes against civilians must be held accountable. Women who have suffered in silence must be heard, protected, and given justice.
Because if justice is delayed again, as it was in Nasir, the consequences will not just be political—they will be human, generational, and irreversible.
Justice for the mothers of Jonglei.
Justice for the mothers of South Sudan.
