The Complex Causes of Cattle Raiding in South Sudan
Recent trends of violent cattle raiding in South Sudan has drawn attention to the underlying causes of the phenomenon and ways of addressing it as part of the quest for security in Africa’s newest country.
Ding Yual, Consultant, Conflict Prevention and Risk Analysis Division, ISS Pretoria
Recent
trends of violent cattle raiding in South Sudan has drawn attention to the
underlying causes of the phenomenon and ways of addressing it as part of the quest
for security in Africa’s newest country. Many have called for in-depth research
into the situation towards informing understanding of the cause-effect
relationships around the issue. Since the communities involved in the conflict are
also known to use cattle for bride price payments, it has been assumed, in many
circles, that the on-going cycles of cattle raiding are influenced by the rise
in bride price. This requires closer scrutiny.
Most
South Sudanese marriages are dominated by the payment of bride prices. This is
true of the Nuer and Dinka tribes of South Sudan. While other South Sudanese
tribes are not exempt from the same practices, Nuer and Dinka represent the
extreme example of the tribes where demand for bride price ranges from 35 to
200 head of cattle. With the current market rates of $300 per head, the cost
usually ranges between $10 000 and $60 000 dollars. Taken from these figures,
one would therefore conclude that South Sudanese marriages, i.e. Nuer and
Dinka, are no doubt some of the most expensive marriages in the world.
Some
researchers have thus drawn a correlation between the rising cost of dowries
and cattle raiding in South Sudan. They have argued that South Sudanese young
men are increasingly unable to meet rising dowry demands and as a result enlist
in militias, join cattle raids, or seek wives from different ethnic groups or
countries. Some of these arguments have been based on field visits and
interviews conducted in certain parts and sections of the country. However, a
broader consideration of the history and nature of the crisis in the country
raises questions about the actual direct link between cattle raiding and the
cost of bride price, especially if such conclusions are weighed against the
underlying principles of South Sudanese marriages, the practical costs and
social implications of cattle raiding, and the overall changing dynamics of
South Sudanese cultures.
Firstly,
marriage in all parts of the world is a union between two people and sometimes
two families. In South Sudan, however, marriage is more than that; a marriage
between two people is a union between their families, clans, villages and,
sometimes, a nation in cases where the marriage happens between couple from
distant tribes. As a result of this wider social implication, marriages are
never left to the discretion of the marrying youth. The marriage institution
sees the involvement of the family from start to finish and this includes a
rigorous process of background checks of the individuals the family is getting
involved with. Families generally frown upon individuals with questionable characters,
including involvement in criminal activities such as cattle raiding. In
situations where a young man is found to have such a record, South Sudanese
families are typically opposed to marriages with such individuals.
Secondly,
the risks involved in raiding are such that they are not commensurate with the
logic of its use for the payment of bride price. Cattle raids in communities
are perpetrated by structurally organised youth groups of about 500 people. For
someone who simply wants to marry, the task of raising and seeking the consent
of such a big group is a lot to ask. And even if one is able to mobilise such
numbers, the risks involved in raiding is enough to frighten off someone who is
doing this only to pay the bride price. More importantly, one must factor in
the underlying cultural implication of this act and the effect it has on the
marriage and extended family if the in-laws are to find out about it.
Additionally,
in South Sudanese societies, the burden of shouldering the cost of bride price
is usually not left to the groom alone but borne by the family. What is
expected from a young man in a typical family context is the declaration of
intent. The family then takes care of the rest. The process does not exert
direct pressure on the youth to think about raiding cattle to pay the dowries.
The costs are equally shared among family members, each contributing according
to rights and commitment. Though cattle inherited from raids can still be used
in marriages, the raiding itself may not have been organised with the sole aim
of meeting the high dowries costs and might therefore only be an unintended use
indirectly related to the cost of bride price.
Whilst
it is true that bride prices in South Sudanese mariages have seen an increase
in recent times, the changes are mostly taking places in urban cities. From
what is known, rural people are still using the same number of cows applicable
fifteen and twenty years ago. Nuer still use the figure of thirty five, while
Dinka require one hundred head of cattle as the standard price. According to a recent report by experts Marc
Sommers and Stephanie Schwartz, the rise of the bride price in urban areas is
caused by wealthy individuals who want to meet exorbitant demands because it
provides these men with a higher social status - it becomes an ego issue. “Instead of negotiating a dowry price down,
wealthy men want to meet exorbitant demands. The more you pay, the higher the
status the husband and his new wife receive. Many claimed that powerful
government officials flush with are the main cause of dowry price inflation.
This makes it more expensive for everyone else,” these researchers say.
The
current trends of cattle raiding is quite recent and holds no ground to explain
the concerns embedded in the South Sudanese institutions of marriage which has
been in existence for centuries. The explanations for the rise in cattle
raiding instead need to be posited within the context of the general breakdown
of rule of law and the collapse of the norms and social order in many South
Sudanese societies. This has become the basis for crime and disrespect for the
norms and cultural practices of the communities, which required neighbours to
live in peace and to respect and protect each other’s property. The underlying
cause of the rise in the phenomenon of cattle raiding is exacerbated by the
proliferation of small arms and light weapons as a result of the more than two
decades of war with Sudan. An appreciation of this is important if the right
solution is to be proffered for addressing the menace in the new country. In
this case, the solution lies in reconstructing the social order in South
Sudanese communities, educating the youth as part of a robust demilitarisation
process, and disarmament.
