South Sudan Vice President says Jonglei must be disarmed
August 18, 2007 (BOR, Jonglei) — During a visit to Bor today, the Vice President of the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) Riek Machar Teny announced that all the communities in Jolglei state must be disarmed.
Machar visited Jonglei state on Saturday to hold a security meeting with local authorities after tribal clashes between cattle herders.
Cattle raids between south Sudanese tribes have killed 56 people and wounded 16 others in July in Jonglei state, the deadliest such clashes there in years. The number of people who died was 27 Murle and 29 Lou Nuer.
High level government officials including the minister of SPLA Affairs, Dominic Dim Minister of interior Paul Mayom Akech, Minister of Constitutional Development and Legal Affair Michael Makuey Lueth, Peace commissioner and Southern Sudan DDR commissioner with other officials accompanied the GoSS Vice-President.
The delegation was received by Governor Philip Thon Leek and Jonglei officials. Huge crowd came out occupying the road from airport to the meeting venue in the center of the town.
In his address to people of Jonglei, Riek Machar said that GoSS president Salva Kiir was unable to visit Jonglei because he is engaged in SPLM/ANC meeting.
He told the crowd that, a high level delegation comes to this state “because the government of Southern Sudan is highly concerned about the insecurity that increasingly becoming a national issue.”
While it was declared that Jonglei state illegal arms owned by civilian surrendered to the South Sudan DDR, it’s obvious that, more illegal arms still find their way in the hand of the civilian. Recently, much of the blame has been poured on cattle raiders particularly Murley tribe who was not disarmed when the Nuer and Dingka were disarmed.
It’s true that illegal weapon end up in civilian hands. “These people must be disarmed. A strategy to disarm those that are killing innocent people and creating insecurity in the states and counties will be disarmed.” Machar said.
A closed meeting between the government of Southern Sudan, Peace Commissioner, South Sudan DDR Commissioner is underway. The result of this meeting will reveal the strategy, when, and how the disarmament will be conducted in Jonglei state.
(ST)