Bor community Crisis in Australia:

What you need to know

Bor Community Association in Australia Inc (BCAA).

NOVEMBER 28, 2019

BCAA LEADERSHIP
Table of Contents
Bor community crisis in Australia; and what you need to know ................................................................... 2
The Civil War of Words ................................................................................................................................. 2
What Caused the Civil War of Words?.............................................................................................................. 3
A Need for The Federated Bor Community Office Across Australia. ......................................................... 3
Other Matters of Concern .............................................................................................................................. 4
Bor Youth Set- Up Resistance against the Formation of Bor Community Office....................................... 4
A New Interim Committee Constituted by The State’s Leaders. ................................................................ 6
The Formation of Bor Community Association in Australia (BCAA) ......................................................... 7
Further Division as A Result of The Elections ............................................................................................. 7
The Formation of Bor Gok Community Association (BGCA) As A Resistance........................................... 7
The Formation of Bor Community Association of Australia (BCAA) As A Resistance ............................. 8
The Restoration of Bor Youth Association in Australia (BYAA) ................................................................. 8
The Way Forward Peace Initiatives Attempts on The Civil War of Words?.................................................. 9
Mr. Andrew Herjok Apech: Chairman of Bor Community Association in Australia (BCAA) Peace
Initiatives. ....................................................................................................................................................... 9
Dr Ajak Duany Ajak And His Team Peace Initiative (Independent Members of The Community and
Community Pastors). ..................................................................................................................................... 9
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................ 10
Compiled by:..................................................................................................................................................... 11
Stakeholders: .................................................................................................................................................... 11

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Bor community crisis in Australia; and what you need to know
The Civil War of Words
The ongoing civil war of words in Australia among the Bor Community members is pathetic and
shameful. It has spun out of control as individuals are loose with no sense of vision and mission for their
community. These individuals no longer care about the collective interests of the community. They have
not delineated their interests from community interests. They do not listen to their elders nor the leaders
they elected to lead them. The deep wounds they have inflicted among themselves in the form of slanders,
insults and abuses are now entrenched into the community interests. This has made it hard to reconcile
the two camps. The politics of backstabbing, blackmailing, jealousy and hatred have now become part
and parcel of community, making it difficult for the community to move forward. It has even become
challenging to define what is an individual’s interests versus community interests. It is when these
individuals’ members realised that the war of interests has damaged the reputation of the community
and has held the community hostage that durable peace and calm may be achieved.

The civil war of words has also pitted the most powerful individuals holding powerful positions
within the two political divides of the two associations against each other-Bor Community Association in
Australia (BCAA) versus Bor Community Association of Australia (BCAA). It is regrettable that the leaders
whom the community elected to care for the best interest of the people have relinquished their
responsibility and now fighting their wars over holding community positions, which have made it even
worse for the community to heal and to reconcile. This has made it difficult for the top leadership in the
two camps in the like of Mr Andrew Herjok Apech and Mr Koor Abuol Dot to make meaningful and
decisive leadership decision to reconcile the two camps as they are left to carry out long indecisive
consultation which has not helped the community so far. To effect, they are also held hostage by the very
people they lead, leaving the community with no direction at all. The bottom to top leadership style is
what this conflict is now in play.

The once-powerful and beacon of hope community to other communities in Australia has been turned
into a garbage bin with no more sense of belonging and direction. The once enriched community with the
individuals who had brilliant ideas, respect, values, integrity, courage and understanding is being torn
apart by her sons and daughters. The community which should have been at the forefront of the 21st in
terms of her best human resources and materials resources has stagnated.

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What Caused the Civil War of Words?
A Need for The Federated Bor Community Office Across Australia.
The need for Bor Community to have one unifying federal leadership has been an ongoing call since
2004. The call to form a federal office was being actively discussed in various states of Australia under
the leadership of Bor Community States leaders. This initiative of forming a federal office was attempted
for discussion by the state’s assemblies in 2011 and 2013 in WA and SA respectively. However, the
attempts did not materialise. As a result, Bor Community in Australia remained with no unified leadership
across the Australian states and territories. It is to be noticed that the vertical leadership structure was
missing, but the horizontal leadership structure was present. To be clear, there was no Bor Community
Association in Australia (BCAA) until 8 July 2017. Alternatively, as they later on understood, Bor Youth
wing of the community was formed in 2004 with complete vertical and horizontal leadership structures.
This means that there was youth leadership at states and territories levels as well as at the federal level
under the Bor Youth Association of Australia (BYAA). Over the years, the Bor community states leaders
have worked for hand -in -hand with their youth counterparts, within states and territories in Australia;
with youth having their complete leadership structures both at the federal level and states levels. There
was no problem at all.

So out of the above brief explanation, you could see that what was missing was a unified single
community leadership at the federal level or across Australia. This was for a very long time a concerned
of the Bor Community states leaders as they, later on, understood from states leaders such as; Mr Martin
Mapath Machar (Melbourne, Victoria), Mr Chau Jook Chau (Brisbane, Queensland), and Mr Marial Ayom
Kok (Sydney, New South Wales). So, when additional states leaders came to office in the like of; Mr. Jok
Ayii Mabior (Adelaide, South Australia), and Mr. Deng Wel Deng (Perth, Western Australia), the
momentum of the voices calling for federal had increased. The challenges of lack of unified decision-
making process cross Australia and lack of coordination of material resources to help our people back
home, as insecurity was rampant due to series of attacks against our community members back home by
our enemies were the concerns shared by both leaders at different states. It was also concerned of former
Bor Community leaders’ states leaders across Australia who later on rung the then states leaders for a
need to form one united community office in Australia. Thus, it was also a concern of many Bor
community elders who were not put into action. The state's leaders had to act on behalf of their own
challenges at their states levels and the behalf of Bor Community which needed a modernised leadership
structure.

The first consultation to form Bor Community in Australia was taken on 28 August 2015 through a
phone conference by Mr Deng Wel Deng, the former President of Bor Community in WA, Mr Thon Panchol
Kueng, the former secretary-general of Bor Community in Victoria, and Mr Martin Mapath Machar, the

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President of Bor Community in Victoria. These leaders were later on joined by Mr Jok Ayii Mabior and
Mr Panchol Jook Kuai in October of 2015, in the subsequence consultations which was organised by Mr
Thon Panchol Kueng. In this phone conference, all the leaders agreed in principles that there was a need
to form Bor Community Association in Australia. The need for the state’s leaders to meet face to face was
identified in the first phone conference and the responsibility of further coordination was taken from Mr
Thon Panchol Kueng to Mr Jok Ayii Mabior, who convened the state's leaders meeting on 26 March 2016.
In this meeting, the state’s leaders unanimously resolved to form a federal Bor Community office in
Australia.

Other Matters of Concern

For every long time, Bor Community members in Australia as namely; elders, women and Youth-
focused and exerted their energy in helping their people back home. They have been oblivious to their
matters arising from Australia such as:

1. Lack of facilities for conducting their activities(Hall)

2. The young generation or youth who have grown up in Australia and the do not attend Bor
functions and do not speak Dinka Bor dialect
3. Our elders(men and women) who are above the age of forty-five (45) years(who are not
recognised by the constitution of Youth yet valuable to the community in terms of their ideas and
advice)
4. And those youth members who are approaching the age of forty-five (45) years(and will not be
recognised by the youth constitution)
5. The level of incarceration and vilification of our youth by the Australian government; and the
stagnation of Bor Youth Association in Australia (BYAA), in term of vision and mission.

So, there was a need for restructuring community governing structures to reflect the modern Dinka
Bor community in Australia. They came into office with energy to work to make sure that our
community remains vibrant, attractive and inclusive to all her current members and future
generation after that. There was no intention, and whatsoever to caused conflict or division in our
community they dearly love.

Bor Youth Set- Up Resistance against the Formation of Bor Community Office.
The Bor Youth Association of Australia (BYAA), under the leadership of Mr Majok Piel Mayen, staged
a resistance against the idea of the formation of Bor Community Association in Australia (BCAA) office.
Before they even sent an invitation to the Youth leadership as it was resolved in our 26/8/2015 meeting
in Victoria, Melbourne a few months back, Mr Majok Piel Mayen, was threatening the state leaders with
termination of our responsibilities and our terms of offices across Australian states and territories should

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they go ahead with formation Bor Community Association in Australia (BCAA). His justifications were as
followed:

✓ That the entire Bor community (elders (men and women), children, and youth), are under his
leadership. Hence, there is no need for the formation of other association.
✓ That there is already a formed council of elders' leadership under him led by Mr Kuai Thiong.
Therefore, the faces of the entire community are well represented under his leadership and no
need for the formation of other association. No issues of exclusivity.
✓ That what they are doing as states leaders is a coup against his leadership, and it will not succeed.
✓ That he will never attend any scheduled meetings conducting by the state's leaders as it not
necessary and a waste of time.
✓ That he will work hard to bring our terms to an end in the states.

All these reasons look valid and reasonable for a person who has no interests of the community at heart
but his interests in protecting his leadership at all costs. He declined our invitation letter to our meeting
on 26/08/2015 in Melbourne. Instead, he started de-campaigning our of the idea of the formation of
community office by blackmailing them that they are trying to destroy Bor Youth Office by establishing
community office alongside it. From here, it became all-out war by the entire youth leadership against
the community states leaders. From here, it shifted from being a closed-door conflict into open war
conflict involving social media postings to thaw the formation of Bor community association. So here they
parted ways.

Here all the correspondences of an attempt to sit and forge a way forward were declined by both
parties to the conflict. The entire communication broke down here. Later on, as pressure mounts on the
youth leadership over the realities of the formation of Bor Community Association in Association (BCAA),
Mr Majok Piel Mayen offered the state's leaders to come to the Annual general meeting on 27/12/2015
of Bor Youth, which was to be conducted in Adelaide, South Australia. According, to him he wanted the
agenda of the formation of the new association to be debated by Youth and to be rejected or passed by
the Youth. This offer to the state’s leaders had no basis as they are an independent body and anything to
do with the formation new association must be discussed outside Youth meeting.

From here, they choose to go it alone as states leadership without Youth Leadership, and on the
26/27 March 2016, they had conducted another meeting on how to form the association without the
youth. They agreed in this meeting that the office of the community is established without the
participation of the youth leadership. From here until the 24/9/2016 there was no further meeting
scheduled by the state's leaders due to resistance set-up against the formation of Bor Community
Association in Australia, by Bor Youth Association in of Australia (BYAA) under the leadership of Mr
Majok Piel Mayen. The war of words and disagreement remains intact with further gaps opening in

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different fronts as opposition grew louder and bigger as Youth received support form few committee
elders who were opposed to the idea for the best reasons known to them.

It is worth mentioning that Mr Thon Panchol Kueng crosses the floor from the Bor Community
states leaders forum as a secretary of Victoria community leadership to contest for the position of Youth
leadership as Mr Majok Piel Mayen two years term was coming to an end on 27/12/2016. This was a
piece of welcome news on the side of the Youth as they had received a formidable insider on the side of
community leaders. To them, this was a destructive blow they could apply to the formation of the new
association.

A New Interim Committee Constituted by The State’s Leaders.

As time elapses and the impasse continuing between the office of Youth leadership and the state
leaders, they agreed that a new independent committee free of the influence of the state leaders and the
Youth be formed. As a result, a committee of about twelve (12) people was constituted on the 24/9/2016
under the leadership of Mr Akuot Achiek Akout and Mr Makuei Ajak Arik. This committee in our thinking
as state leaders was to look at better ways and means of bringing the states leaders and the Youth
together on our differences and to a large extent, carry out more comprehensive consultations and
awareness among the entire Bor Community members in Australia about the needs for the formation of
the new association.

The term of this interim committee was six (6) months. The terms of reference/mandate were as
followed:

✓ Carry out broad-based community consultations on the need for the formation of Bor Community
Association in Australia.
✓ Write the Constitution of the new association together with its vision and mission
✓ Conduct Bor Community Census to find out the total population of Bor Community in Australia.
✓ To formulate, organise, plan and design new structures of the new association and design a logo
of the association after that.
✓ To conduct elections

Immediately as this committee was about to kick start its work, they came under the same attack labelled
against the state's leaders as; schemers and destroyers of Bor Community. They were even threatened
with worse division in the community should they go-ahead to form the new association. Some of the
Youth members took the war of words individually to the top leadership of the community particularly
against Mr Makuei Ajak Arik and Mr Akuot Achiek Akuot in an attempt to sabotage the formation of the
new association. After consultations were all completed at the state levels, a general consultation was
called in Melbourne on the 18/2/2017, involving youth, women and elders. It was agreed in this general
assembly that a community organisation be formed. This committee under challenging circumstances

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managed to conduct and complete its work within a reasonable time frame. So, within nine (9) months
with furthermore extension of their term for more three (3) months; their job was done with all their
terms of reference done and dusted. As a result of its work completion, the formation and elections of Bor
Community Association members were set and conducted on 8/7/2017.

The Formation of Bor Community Association in Australia (BCAA)

Bor Community Association in Australia was formed on 8/7/2017. Moreover, the first time in the
history of Bor people in Australia they had variant and inclusive association. Mr Andrew Herjok Apech
was elected as the Association chairman and Pastor Rev: Achieu Magot Majok as his deputy Chairman.
The vision and mission of this organisation is to have one community under the leadership of the
community chairman but with semi-independent women and youth wings.

It is worth mentioning that under the leadership of Mr Andrew Herjok Apech at the federal level has the
support of the following state's leaders:

1. Mr Thon Ayom Anyang (state leader, Queensland)

2. Mr Martin Mapath Machar (state leader, Victoria)

3. Mrs Achol Kuol Awaar (state leader, South Australia

Further Division as A Result of The Elections

It is important to note that in fact, most of the state’s leaders were not involved or a witness in the
processes of consultation leading to the elections on the 8/7/2017. However, they were made aware by
the leading opposer of the formation of the new association through midnight leaks to our then private
chat forum on the division among the leading members that Mr Koor Abuol Dot has worked away from
the venue in which elections modalities were being planned and organised. Having bitterly Opposed the
processes to be followed in the conduct of an election by his fellow representative members of the states.
His departure was not of a decent man who had to go quite to heal and come back to join. Instead, he
immediately when and mobilised his support base to put up further resistance against the association
top leadership.

The Formation of Bor Gok Community Association (BGCA) As A Resistance

As this was going on, there was also a formation of Bor Gok Community Association (BGCA) on
24/12/2017. Although there were genuine reasons for the formation of this association by her members,
the timing was wrong. And they treat its formation a deliberate attempt in, frustrating, thawing and
sabotaging the newly formed association. Furthermore, people who formed the association were
community members who openly rejected the formation of another association besides Bor Youth
Association. Indeed, most of the members later became leading members of the Bor Community

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Association of Australia (BCAA). When this association was formed, many of its members declared openly
on that day, they were an incomplete rejection of the new association formed under the leadership Mr
Andrew Herjok Apech.

The Formation of Bor Community Association of Australia (BCAA) As A Resistance

On the 10/6/2018 another Bor association was formed and under the interim leadership of Mr
Mabior Garang Anyar and Mrs Kech Riak Ajok as her deputy. As we, later on, understood the team was
authorised to conduct elections in six (6) months to prepare the way for Mr Koor Abuol Dot. And the
29/12/2018, Mr Koor Abuol Dot was elected to the office being deputised by Mr Ayuen Achiek Mayen.
The vision and mission of this leadership were to have one united community organisation with both
women and youth wings included. It is to be noticed that the Bor Youth Association of Australia (BYAA)
was completely abolished. So, this association includes but not limited to the following members:

1. Former members of Bor Youth

2. Members of Bor Gok Community Association (BGCA),
3. And former disgruntled members of Bor community association in Australia (BCAA).
4. Some individuals who had once ran for Bor youth leaderships but lost the elections
5. It is worth mentioning that Mr Koor Abuol Dot enjoyed the support of one legitimately elected state's
leader such as Mr Marial Ayom Kok. The rest of the state's leadership were constituted as a result of
the conflict and had no legitimacy.

The Restoration of Bor Youth Association in Australia (BYAA)

On the 27/12/2018 Bor Youth Association of Australia was restored under the new leadership of
Mr Nhial Majur Nhial and deputised by Mr Bior Kuol Monyroor. The Bor youth members who were not
happy with the integration of Bor Youth into the Bor Community under the leadership of Mr Koor Abuol
Dot. These members believe that Youth has different distinctive roles to play in the community. Hence,
their organisation should remain a semi-autonomous independent wing of the community. It is within
this semi-autonomous organisation that youth will have to practice their leaders' skills and abilities in
becoming Bor community leaders. The youth activities such as; sport, culture and youth mobilisation to
be part of the community continue to require youth leadership initiatives. The former interim
administration of youth under the leadership of Mr Paul Anyang Pakaa, Mr Chol Kuol Ajith and Mr Mac
Kuer Ajak who were heavily involved in the restoration of BYAA were thankful for the restoration of the
BYAA.

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The Way Forward Peace Initiatives Attempts on The Civil War of
Words?
Mr Andrew Herjok Apech: Chairman of Bor Community Association in Australia (BCAA)
Peace Initiatives.
Immediately after assuming his roles as community chairman Andrew Herjok, an attempt on the
peace process started on 2/09/2017 in Western Australia. When Andrew became a chairman of Bor
community, there was no other Bor community leadership set up. So, his motive was to unite the
community after the uproar caused by his election. According to him, his peace process was thwarted in
Western Australia as his other team members were bogged down in an unending meeting with state
leadership which ended up without him addressing the community members he was coming to meet. It
became very clear in this peace break down that the gap continues to grow with opposition to the
association which was just formed a few months back.

Despite this disappointment, he did not give up on his peace initiative and continue with his states
tour thinking that his peace initiative would be welcomed in other states as western Australia was a
disappointment to him. On the 4/11/2017 he went on to meet youth leadership under the auspices of Mr
Thon Panchol Kueng. In this meeting with youth leadership, he was told if he wants to bring peace to the
community, then he must first step down from his leadership as community chairman. It became
stagnated peace initiative with apparent deadlock.no breakthrough and it slows down. So, the first
initiative became a casualty of the unrelenting bitterness and division by people who had put their
interests above their community interests.

Dr Ajak Duany Ajak And His Team Peace Initiative (Independent Members of The
Community and Community Pastors).
This committee constituted by Dr Ajak was a team of both well-respected community pastors and
independent well-experienced community elders. There was high hope for this committee to restore the
badly needed peace to the community as none of them had vested interest in both community
associations. Before the committee started its work, they received a barrage of attacks over social media
with the use of live videos and posts from the Bor Community Association of Australia members aimed
at discrediting them. They were accused of being double standards as they were working under the
influence of Mr Deng Wel Deng and Mr Akuot Achiek Akuot. They were even accused of being directly
nominated by Mr Andrew Herjok Apech.

Despite these discredits they defied all odds in their attempt to bring peace to their community
divided by individual archrivalry among the community members in both camps. The unrelenting attacks
on the committee took toll it as they scheduled peace meetings twice with no attendance by the

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Leadership members under the Bor Community Association of Australia. The committee peace initiatives
attempt hit the deadlock on the 17/11/2018.

To that effect, they had to read out resolutions as to what they think should be away forward in the
restoration of peace to Bor Community in Australia. Below are their resolutions:

Undertake Consolidation Vote to Resolve the Issue of two Community Associations: We recommend
that the leaders of the two camps must resolve the issue of two associations. The November 2018
Resolutions had anticipated as a potential problem, and it would have been resolved if the BCA of
Australia accepted the resolutions. We believe that the existence of two competing associations in our
community would be a constant source of agitations. Therefore, we recommend a consolidated vote to
resolve this issue and to also create a pathway towards a single community leadership. Many members
of the Bor community have conceived this idea under different names such as referendum or plebiscite,
but we recommended consolidated voting as the referendum and plebiscite require legal backing. It must
be noted that acceptance of this recommendation will imply the dissolution of the two leaderships, and
requires the parties to institute a technical committee to organise the vote and perform any other
preparatory work or as otherwise agreed by the parties.

Form a technical committee to harmonise the two constitutions and set an election date: It is upon
the parties to agree on the composition and membership of the technical committee.

General Election: As per the November 2018 Resolutions, we recommend that the parties should go into
an election under one association which would be determined through consolidated voting as per
recommendation No 1.

Reporting and Accountability: We recommend that an investigation should be carried out to find
out exactly what went wrong and how did a community that is known to be guided by strong values and
principles, known to be rational and calmative ended up in a mess, and eventually with two associations.
We believe that an objective investigation can only be conducted once the wounds are healed, and the
community is under one leadership. Any attempt now to investigate to make people accountable may be
futile, and the truth may be covered and mired in counter-accusations. It must be noted that peace must
always come in advance of accountability.

Conclusion
Bor Community in Australia must be freed from these people who have wrapped up their grudges against
each other into the community issue. Bor community is bigger than these individuals who have held
hostage the community progress. The community will always remain but people will come and go. Hence,
it must be freed from this bitterness pitted against these people in two sides who hold powerful
community positions in both community associations.

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The approach now must be this strategy; it is longer who is right or wrong but first restore calm and
tranquillity to the community. It only through this initiative that these influential members holding
community positions must be removed from their positions so that the community can move on. Both
leaders Mr Andrew Herjok and Mr Koor Abuol must continue to meet and issued a common position in
restoration of calm to the community. Collectively now, if indeed these people continue to conduct live
videos shows they must be sack from the two organisations’ time for blame game is over and it is time to
act. Great Leaders are remembered for the problems they solved in office and the ball is in your courts.

It is to be put clear that the state leaders had no intention of causing chaos in the community. They were
instead strengthening the structures of the Community office so that it can function better. This was the
Bor Community they had wanted in Australia: Unified Bor Community structure under one leadership in
Australia equivalent to that one of youth BYAA;

Initiating projects such as; buying of Community hall and other investment opportunities.; and The young
generation or youth who have grown up in Australia and the do not attend Bor functions and do not speak
Dinka Bor dialect; our elders(men and women) who are above the age of forty-five (45) years(who are
not recognised by the constitution of Youth yet valuable to us in terms of their ideas and advice), and
those youth members who are approaching age of forty-five (45) years(and will not be recognised by the
youth constitution.

Compiled by:
Bor Community Association in Association Inc. Leadership
1. Mr Andrew Herjok Apech
2. Rev: Pastor Achau Magot Majok
3. Mr Achiek Angok
4. Mr Akili Deng Ngong
5. Mr Kuai Deng Lueth
6. Mr Mabior Lual Nhial
7. Mr Kur Wai Kur

Stakeholders:
I. Current Bor Community State leaders
1. Mr Martin Mapath Machar
2. Mr Thon Ayom Anyang

II. Former Bor Community State Leaders

1. Mr Jok Ayii Mabior
2. Mr David Deng Wel Deng
3. Mr Chau Juuk Chau

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 4. Mr Marial Ayom Kok

III. Former Bor Community (BCAA) Interim Leadership

1. Mr Akuot Achiek Akuot
2. Mr Makuei Ajak Ariik
3. Mr Malek Kelei Kur
4. Mr Abraham Garang Kuol
5. Mr Machar Alier Agoor
6. Mr Michael Ayuen Kuany
7. Mr Ajok Maler Ajok
8. Mr Mamer Makeer
9. Mr Thon Ayom Anyang
10. Mr Gai Kur Akuei
11. Mr Abraham Mach Deng

IV. Former Mediation Team Leadership

1. Dr Ajak Duany Ajak
2. Rev’d Abraham Angau Amuom
3. Rev’d July Ngong Ayuen
4. Rev’d Daniel Bol Nyieth
5. Rev’d John Aguto Majok Nyuon Thui,
6. Rev’d Stephen Panchol Rok
7. Mr Chol Abraham Kuchkon
8. Rev’d Monica Ayak Kuol
9. Mr Areem Akuei Mach
10. Mr Anyang Angok Malou
11. Rev’d Samuel Wel Maper
12. Rev’d Joseph Loka Gai
13. Mr Kuai Thiong

V. Bor Youth Association in Australia Inc.

1. Mr Nhial Majur Nhial
2. Mr Bior Kuol
3. Mr Mach Kuer Ajak

VI. Former Bor Youth Association in Australia Inc.

1. Mr Paul Anyang Pakaa
2. Mr Chol Kuol Ajith

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