South Sudan speaker urges more active role for Equatorian in police and prisons
By Isaac Vuni
November 11, 2007 (JUBA) – In order to ease the tension raised by the killing of three police officers by undisciplined SLPM soldiers in Yambio last week, the speaker of Southern Sudan parliament called to give Equatorian responsibility of their coercive administration.
The Speaker of Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly, James Wani Igga, has Saturday evening appealed to all southern Sudan Inspector General of Police, Prison and Wildlife to let sons and daughters of greater Equatorian take charge of their Police, Prison and Wildlife administration.
Igga made the appeal when addressing mourners at the funeral rite of police brigadier General Michael Sebit who was murdered along with two colleagues on November 4 in Yambio.
The Governor of Central Equatoria state, Clement Wani Konga earlier appealed to government of southern Sudan to collect all guns from soldiers and lock them in stores since there is no war. Otherwise the SPLA soldiers who are mostly from cattle camps are misusing their guns for terrorizing and killing innocent people in Juba and other parts of southern Sudan.
Meanwhile MP Peter Bashir Bandi say no matter how much Equatorian are intimidated by enemy of peace, Equatorian will never be the first to destroy the CPA nor will they be the one to create division of southern Sudanese.
Bashir recalled that the first war was triggered by Equatorian in Torit and it did not discriminate or divided southern until it was resolve through Addis Ababa agreement in 1972. and the second liberation war stated in Bor but soon was transferred to Equatorian and when it was at virtue of collapsing, the sons and daughters Equatorian stood firm and brought the now CPA and assured the mourners that Equatorian are for unity of southern Sudanese and appeal for calm at this trying moment.
The representatives of Governor of western Equatoria, Charles Abbud said the culprits who killed the three senior police officers are still at large but the garrison commander and his deputy are arrested as from yesterday pending further investigation.
Meanwhile the governor Konga disclosed that yesterday the JIU soldiers who killed police officers also ambushed a car of CIVICO Company and looted the occupant of 900 US dollars.
Speaking on behalf of Dinka, Chief Deng Machan hailed the patriotic stand of Equatoria during the dead of SPLM/A founding father, Dr. John Garang de Mabior and appealed for calm and understanding on the killing of Equatorian police officers and other crimes that might have been committed by Dinka.
He admitted that some renegades Dinka have mistreated and even killed Equatorian in the pass but promised to now work hand in hand with Equatorian elders to apprehend those bad sons of Dinka trying to take people of southern Sudan back to the bush.
(ST)
Augustino Seja
South Sudan speaker urges more active role for Equatorian in police and prisons
Goss Must Inculcate Discipline Into Its Forces
GOSS MUST DESPLINE THE FORCES FIGHT ENEMIES NOT EQUATORIANS OTHERWISE
BY SEJA.
Once again we have witnessed our own security forces taking the law into their hands resulting in the death of fellow officers discharging their duties for the upkeep of law and order. The killing of three police officers in Yambio in the line of duty by JIU rowdy soldiers is yet again a demonstration of the culture of war still prevalent among elements of our forces. Previous similar acts have gone unpunished by GOSS. This attitude has made a repeat of this abominable act.
There was that incident in Rumbek when armed relatives of the victim of a car accident stormed the police station and dragged the driver out and shot him in cold blood. We have never heard whatever happened to those responsible. There was the case of a health official, who was gunned down in Yei by some SPLA soldier, and up to today nothing have been done. More recently we had armed relatives of a detained minister in Juba storming the jail to free their next of kin. It is now clear that had the prison officials refused to let the prisoner go some of them would have lost their lives. And now the incidence in Yambio where three senior police officers were gunned down for refusing to handover suspects to JIU soldiers. These are senseless killings which any responsible army commander could have prevented. Whatever happened to military discipline? Where were the military police?
There was also the case that Ugandan business women were being raped by SPLA soldiers, and others were being manhandled, resulting in the killing of one Ugandan official. This prompted the embarrassment of our president apologizing to the Ugandan government.
It is one thing for ordinary people to get involved in such deeds, but when it is those who are supposed to protect and maintain peace and upkeep the law are now the very people making a mockery of the law, then we should start getting really concerned. Sometime back I wrote in this forum that if the authorities do not deal firmly with lawlessness among its own armed forces, they will be sending the wrong message to the rotten ones. And this is exactly what is happening now. They consider themselves above the law, and are law unto themselves, and they feel they can get away with it since many have gotten away with it before. These are very dangerous developments for a south that is aspiring to assume statehood in four years time from now.
The issues of law and order across south Sudan are enormous, but they can be tackled if all of us put our minds to it. This is where the GOSS must take lead. Any inaction by GOSS could be interpreted as a cover-up or duplicity in these criminal acts. Once the perpetrators know that they will get away with it, there is no way it can be stopped. Already this Yambio incident has generated a lot of anger among people in Equatoria, from which the bulk of the victims come. It is very statement like attitude by the Governor of central Equatoria to appeal for calm and peace. Everybody must be allowed to enjoy the fruit of peace, of the CPA.
The law must be upheld, most of all by those who are its custodians. If they do not then how can we expect the ordinary folks to? One pan_Africanist once said: if something happens once, it is an accident; if it happens twice, it is a coincidence; but if it happens three, four or five times, then there is some unknown forces at play. I pray to God Almighty that this is not the case.
It is not good enough just to say there will be investigation and those found guilty will be brought to book. Many such cases before have never been dealt with, how do we expect these ones to be dealt with? The problem at hand is bigger than simple investigation of the incidents. We have to work on the mindsets of our security forces. The SPLA forces should be reshuffled to reduce concentration of any one ethnic group in the units. They should also be given civic education, and educated on their role in the society, respect for law and order, with well-trained and disciplined officers, and any misbehavior to be dealt with firmly.
I AM REALLY HAPPY WITH THE WORDS OF DINKA MAN CALLED CHIEF DENG MACHAN SPEECH HAD THEY TO BE 100 DINKA WILL BE TOUGH ON HOW TO BE A HUMAN BIENG.
SHAME ON THEM.
Deng Dekuek
South Sudan speaker urges more active role for Equatorian in police and prisons
I do not know why you people keep rambling on about a situation which could be remedied quickly. Jieng and Duor would never have met if Juba wasn’t the capital.
I therefore, think the only thing that will shut the Equatorians up and move the so called Dinka (whoever they’re, because there is no such tribe, we only know of Monyjang or Jieng) away from their land is to change that ramshackle God forseeken town called Juba from being the Capital. A new capital should be created in a neutral area were all will come as equal and none would complain of being the “son of the soil” who has been dispossed of his lands!
That is the foolproof solution!!!