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UNKEA is a Christian Based Organisation working in Eastern Upper
Nile, Nasir County, Dingkar and Mandeng Payams.
The upper Nile region is home to eight ethnic tribes (groups) each
a copying district geographical space. These ethnic identities have
interacted with each other for centuries resulting in the similarity
culture, customs and means of sustaining livelihood.
The present civil war in the Sudan first sparkled off from Upper
Nile region and the suspend destruction and suffering, displacement
was first experienced in the Upper Nile region before any other
region in the South Sudan.
The women and children of the Upper Nile were the first victim of
the excesses and violation of human rights that accompanied the
conduct of war by the government of Sudan and various armed groups
and militias.
As a result of war women and children got displaced suffered physical
abuses and become victims of violent crimes such as abduction, kidnapping
and rape. In spite of this entire situation, the children women
in the Upper Nile region like their sisters in other war affected
regions of South New Sudan have continued to struggle for survival
and support their families.
The factional conflict that rage in the Upper Nile after the internal
conflict in the support from 1991 to 1995 adversely affected women
and children and the elderly in a tragic way. As the rival factions
confronted each other in competition over territory and people,
women were not pared. They were treated with utmost impurity being
one of the vulnerable parts of the community. Girls were abducted
and forcibly married to their captors against their will, this of
course has caused deep psychological fears and famous, health care,
illiteracy and from the negative effects of customary practices
and traditions. They are victims of a violet predatory of life in
South Sudan.
In Eastern and Western Upper Nile women are always on run because
of government military action and policies of ethnic cleansing and
racial in tolerance. International oil companies have massively
displaced them through aerial bombardment by the government air
forces and long-range artillery bombardment in vicious drive to
clear the area of inhabitant to allow for the exploitation of areas
oil wealth. Worse still central and western Upper Nile has been
a threat of fractional conflict and fighting characterized by the
burning of dwelling and crops, looting of cattle’s and abduction
of women and girls.
As to the rest of Upper Nile in the period from 1991 to 1995 women
and children became victim of ethnically motivated conflicts between
various ethnic identities particularly conflict among the Dinka,
Nuer, Shilluk and Murle. In spite of the Liliir peace conference
of year 2000, many women and children still remains in the captivity
of those who kidnapped them during the rival groups conflicts. More
over women have never been permitted a chance to the part of decision
making neither their efforts in conflicts resolution have been recognized.
The Women and Men of Upper Nile State sat and conceptualised on
the problems facing them. In 2001 a group of women and elders from
Upper Nile region formed the Upper Nile Kalaazar Eradication Association
as a forum to bring them together at all levels to tackle Kalaazar
and other problems facing them such as health, education, agriculture,
political empowerment and social economics.
The membership of Upper Nile Kalaazar Eradication Association covers
Upper Nile.
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