Donald Trumph Strategy

When the Iran–US war began, Iran moved to restrict the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints.

The objective was clear: by disrupting the movement of oil and gas through the strait, Iran could put pressure on the global economy and drive up fuel and energy prices.

Yet Iran was not necessarily bearing the full economic cost of that strategy. Despite the disruption, Iran continued exporting oil to countries willing to purchase it, particularly China, while other countries with favourable arrangements with Tehran were able to maintain access to Iranian energy.

In effect, the economic consequences of the confrontation were not being distributed equally.Then came Trump’s response: if Iran was going to use the Strait of Hormuz to impose economic pain on the rest of the world, the United States would ensure that Iran felt the consequences as well.

The US prevented ships from reaching or leaving Iranian ports, Washington turned Iran’s own economic weapon against it.

This is what the Nuer needs to do.

The current phase of Anyuak–Nuer violence in Gambella can be traced to the deadly attacks of May 2023, including the killing of 11 people, among them women and a child, at a church in Matar town, Wanthoa Woreda, Nuer Zone.

Ever since, there has been no meaningful reprieve. Nuer civilians have continued to face deadly attacks on roads, in passenger vehicles, in villages and even inside their own homes.

The violence has created an atmosphere in which ordinary Nuer families cannot feel secure simply travelling, working, or living in their communities.

The pattern of attacks is not simply random violence. It as an attempt to drive Nuer civilians from parts of Gambella through sustained fear and terror.

The objective is merely to kill individuals and to make ordinary life so dangerous that Nuer families are eventually forced to abandon their homes and communities.

Persistent attacks around Itang, Makhot, Iller and Berbereseb have contributed to the displacement of Nuer civilians from areas where they have lived for generations.

Today, Berbereseb and Tharpaam are among the last remaining areas where Nuer communities continue to maintain a significant presence.

If those communities are emptied through violence and displacement, the consequences for the Nuer population in Newland could be profound.

Nuer communities would become increasingly isolated from one another, while the geographic space available for civilian life and movement would continue to shrink.

The danger extends beyond the communities themselves. If insecurity continues unchecked, attacks on civilian buses could move further along the roads between Tharpaam and Lare.

Refugee settlements such as Kule and Nguanyiel, which have reportedly faced repeated security threats, could also remain vulnerable.

This is no longer a situation that the Nuer community can afford to treat as someone else’s problem. The community needs unity, political organisation and collective action.

Gambella is a Failed State and the federal government is supporting the killing of the Nuer part of the reason why this killer woman has been returned to power.

The Nuer cannot afford to answer one cycle of violence with another. What is required is organised resistance to displacement and impunity: political pressure, community mobilisation, legal action, international attention and a persistent demand for civilian protection.

The Nuer Cannot Wait for Protection That Never Comes

The Federal Government has demonstrated a profound failure of responsibility toward Gambella, particularly when it comes to the security of Nuer civilians.

Instead of waiting until more communities are displaced—as has happened in Itang, Makhot and parts of Pul Deng, the Nuer must organise themselves to protect their communities and demand effective security along the areas where civilians remain vulnerable.

One immediate priority must be the security of Gambella Tharpaam Road. This is a federal road linking Gambella with the Nuer Zone. This road is not simply another route on a map.

It is a critical lifeline for civilians, commerce, transportation and communication between Nuer communities and the wider Gambella region.

For years, civilians have been expected to travel these roads while facing the threat of armed attacks. A government that cannot reliably protect one of its country’s major transport corridors cannot reasonably expect communities to remain passive while their security deteriorates.

The goal should therefore be clear the Anyuaks on the other side of the Openo whi have been launching attacks on buses, ambulances and light vehicles.

Nuer must protect this federal road to protect civilian communities and prevent further displacement. After so many deaths and isolation the Nuer community has a right to organise for its collective security.

The Federal Government has the constitutional responsibility to protect its citizens. But it continues to fail in that responsibility.

The Nuer of Gambella will increasingly have to demand that protection through organised political and community action. The Nuer should not have to wait until another town or village falls before the authorities decide that their lives matter.

What makes the situation even more alarming is the continuing absence of effective accountability. When armed perpetrators can repeatedly attack civilians, disappear, and return to violence without facing justice, the message received by victims is that the law is powerless.

This article was written by Pam Chuol Joack, a Gambella Vision Contributor and an Analyst in Gambella Affairs.