'White Army'

During the civil war the largely Nuer 'White Army' emerged out of the cattle camps in central and eastern Upper Nile to defend cattle and community property at local level. Membership was always fluid and was based on being a civilian—mostly from the Lou-, Gawaar-, and Jikany Nuer as well as the Duk clan of the Dinka—and owning a modern weapon. The loosely controlled 'army' (which was really a collection of many separate forces) had the ability to bring large numbers of armed men together for specific purposes with the cattle camps serving as its nucleus. Initially these heavily armed groups were closely linked to local communities and responsible to traditional authorities but over time these structures broke down and power passed to local youths.

Following the 1991 split in the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), White Army members became involved in the civil war, fighting on one side or the other depending on levels of support. Following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005, the army was seen as a possible threat to the fledgling Government of South Sudan. During a forcible disarmament campaign led by the SPLA in Jonglei State in 2006, several hundred Lou Nuer youths were killed. Local communities have since rearmed and continue to be at the centre of Jonglei's ongoing insecurity.

Relevant Tables, Maps, and Summaries

• Significant Violent Incidents in South Sudan, 2009 (from HSBA Working Paper 20)
  Map highlighting areas that experienced inter-ethnic violence in South Sudan in 2009
• Southern Clashes Targeting Women and Children, 2009 (from HSBA Working Paper 20)
  Table summarizing major inter-ethnic clashes in 2009, including the numbers of wounded, killed, and displaced
• Inter-ethnic Fighting in Jonglei State, 2009 (from HSBA Issue Brief 14)
  Summary on the resurgence of inter-ethnic armed conflict in Jonglei in 2009, including in 'White Army' areas
• Selected Civilian Disarmament Sites, Jonglei State, 2006 (from HSBA Issue Brief 3)
  Map showing 'White Army' and other areas disarmed in Jonglei in 2006

Relevant HSBA Publications

• The White Army: An Introduction and Overview, by John Young, June 2007 (in Arabic)
• Anatomy of Civilian Disarmament in Jonglei State: Recent Experiences and Implications, HSBA Issue Brief, November 2006 (2nd edition February 2007) (in Arabic)
• Conflicting priorities: GoSS Security Challenges and Recent Responses, HSBA Issue Brief, May 2009 (in Arabic)
• Uncertain Future: Armed Violence in South Sudan, by Claire Mc Evoy and Emile LeBrun, April 2010 (in Arabic)