Thu. Mar 28th, 2024

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South Sudan: 43 years old ‘rainmaker’ buried alive

Over the weekend, a 43-year-old rainmaker was buried alive in Mura Lopit, Lafon County, Eastern Equatoria State.

On Saturday, a crowd of teenagers and women confronted their neighborhood rainmaker, Lodovico Hobon Angelo, demanding that he create rain before binding, beating, and burying him alive.

Martin Ojok, the executive director of Lopa in Imehejek Corridor, said that he had previously saved the dead rainmaker from the crowd and denounced the act. He urged widespread understanding of harmful cultural behaviors.

According to the report seen by NCMP, the rainmaker was buried at Mura-Lopit and was revered in Mura Lopit as a rainmaker.

The locals still believe in historical events; they think this man is the one who brought South Sudan’s rains to a halt. They inquired why he stopped it, and that man also claimed to be the one who halted the rain.

Lodovico Hobon Angelo is his name; he is 43 years old. He received the power of a rainmaker directly from his grandfather. This is equivalent to a kingdom to them; he inherited it from his father, who inherited it as well. How can these (detrimental) cultural practices can be halted?

Peter Ohure, the Lopit corridor’s youth leader, blamed the tragedy on the dead rainmaker’s carelessness.

“The event occurred as a result of the rainmaker’s carelessness. The problem was that the community was inquiring as to the whereabouts of the (Afanga) rain, which was usually combined in the same pot, and so the community proceeded to count the (Afanga).

As a result, he was questioned about the locations of the traditional (Afanga) that they think affects rain, but they were missing from their proper number, and he claimed to have hidden them elsewhere. That is why he was subjected to torture,” Ohure said.

He said that the rainmaker sought inducements from the community but failed to provide rain.

“He was whining that he wanted something from the community, and you know what happens when you ask for something and the community provides but you do not deliver on your end,” Ohure said.

“The event occurred as a result of his failure to provide the community with what it required. It is not a wise choice, but it results in misery for the people, and for us in Lopit, when there is a drought, there is no cultivation.”

He said that the protracted drought had compelled many to seek shelter in refugee camps.

Magisto Ukachi Agweri, Lafon County’s commissioner, acknowledged the event and encouraged residents to abstain from harmful cultural traditions, stating that ring leaders would be discovered and held responsible.

“It was a kind of mob justice, since a group of Monyiemiji is very large. Now, it would be very difficult for the government to act quickly and arrest all Monyiemiji.

The government will begin by determining who is responsible for the killing; there may be some decision-makers and some implementers. We will eventually be able to determine who made the choice that resulted in the unfortunate chief’s death,” Commissioner Ukachi added.

This is the second time in recent years that such an event has occurred in Lafon County. In 2015, the Pari community in Marguna Payam assassinated their traditional leader (Wehipac), accusing him of driving birds off the fields.

Over the weekend, a 43-year-old rainmaker was buried alive in Mura Lopit, Lafon County, Eastern Equatoria State.

On Saturday, a crowd of teenagers and women confronted their neighbourhood rainmaker, Lodovico Hobon Angelo, demanding that he create rain before binding, beating, and burying him alive.

In a Radio Tamazuj report seen by NCMP, Martin Ojok, the executive director of Lopa in Imehejek Corridor, said that he had previously saved the dead rainmaker from the crowd and denounced the act. He urged widespread understanding of harmful cultural behaviors.

According to the report, the rainmaker was buried at Mura-Lopit and was revered in Mura Lopit as a rainmaker.

The locals still believe in historical events; they think this man is the one who brought South Sudan’s rains to a halt. They inquired why he stopped it, and that man also claimed to be the one who stopped the rain.

Lodovico Hobon Angelo is 43 years old. He received the power of a rainmaker directly from his grandfather. This is equivalent to a kingdom to them; he inherited it from his father, who inherited it as well. How can these (detrimental) cultural practices can be halted?

Peter Ohure, the Lopit corridor’s youth leader, blamed the tragedy on the dead rainmaker’s carelessness.

“The event occurred as a result of the rainmaker’s carelessness. The problem was that the community was inquiring as to the whereabouts of the (Afanga) rain, which was usually combined in the same pot, and so the community proceeded to count the (Afanga).

As a result, he was questioned about the locations of the traditional (Afanga) that they think affect rain, but they were missing from their proper number, and he claimed to have hidden them elsewhere. That is why he was subjected to torture,” Ohure said.

He said that the rainmaker sought inducements from the community but failed to provide rain.

“He was whining that he wanted something from the community, and you know what happens when you ask for something and the community provides but you do not deliver on your end,” Ohure said.

“The event occurred as a result of his failure to provide the community with what it required. It is not a wise choice, but it results in misery for the people, and for us in Lopit, when there is a drought, there is no cultivation.”

He said that the protracted drought had compelled many to seek shelter in refugee camps.

Magisto Ukachi Agweri, Lafon County’s commissioner, acknowledged the event and encouraged residents to abstain from harmful cultural traditions, stating that ring leaders would be discovered and held responsible.

“It was a kind of mob justice, since a group of Monyiemiji is very large. Now, it would be very difficult for the government to act quickly and arrest all Monyiemiji.

The government will begin by determining who is responsible for the killing; there may be some decision-makers and some implementers. We will eventually be able to determine who made the choice that resulted in the unfortunate chief’s death,” Commissioner Ukachi added.

This is the second time in recent years that such an event has occurred in Lafon County. In 2015, the Pari community in Marguna Payam assassinated their traditional leader (Wehipac), accusing him of driving birds off the fields.

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By Chala Dandessa

I am Lecturer, Researcher and Freelancer. I am the founder and Editor at ETHIOPIANS TODAY website. If you have any comment use caalaadd2@gmail.com as email contact. Additionally you can contact us through the contact page of www.ethiopianstoday.com.

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