S Sudan ‘s Defense Minister makes first official visit to Warrap

By Ngor Arol Garang

October 9, 2011 (JUBA) – General John Kong Nyuon, minister of defense in the government of south Sudan on Saturday paid first official visit to Kuacjok, capital of Warrap State, in a move seen as an attempt to assess general security situation as well as familiarising himself with local authorities on the ground.

Nyuon was received by the state governor Nyandeng Malek Dielic along with the cabinet members on his arrival. The minister who is on official tour in the states of Bahr el Ghazal region, embarked on a serious ground tour to assess what an ongoing voluntary and peaceful civilian disarmament process has achieved in areas affected.

He is reported to have met with senior military officers at division five headquarters as well as area commanding officers and traditional leaders and members of parliament.

The minister is further reported to have assured soldiers and commanding officers commitment of the government of South Sudan to transform the former rebel fighters into professional army and to improve the living condition of individual soldier.

“The government is working hard to ensure that all SPLA soldiers are fully trained to provide adequate security. Not only with skills and techniques to provide adequate security to the civil population ,you also have a constitutional responsibility of protecting territorial sovereignty of south Sudan and contribute to bringing total peace and stability so that every citizen feels prevalence of peace dividends”, General Nyuon told a meeting in Kuacjok in a statement broadcast live on South Sudan Television on Saturday.

“The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, he said, fought for achievement of peace and stability in the country. The security of our people is in your hand”. South Sudan became independent in July as part of a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of conflict between the SPLA and Khartoum.

“Intervene whenever there is a national security issue so that lives and properties of our people who fight tribal wars are saved. Actually there is no reason why our people should fight themselves while the ultimate goal has been achieved. We took up arms for ourselves. We had the cause whose mission is accomplished with the hard won independence of our country. Why kill ourselves again,” Nyuon asked the gathering.

Governor Nyandeng thanked minister for making a field visit and called on him to focus attention on the demarcation and security of the new international North-South border as well as internal security issues and transformation of the army.

While assuring the minister of the stability of the state, she said that cattle raiding and the northern Sudanese army in the disputed border region of Abyei remain a security threat. An estimated 110,000 people were displaced from Abyei when the northern military took the area by force in May.

The presidents of Sudan and South Sudan are expected to discuss the issue at meetings in Khartoum on Saturday and Sunday.

“The issue of Abyei remains a pricking thorn. The presence of Sudanese armed forces in Abyei town deters return of the internally displaced persons from Abyei who are willing to return to their ancestral homes. These people are spread into neighboring four states of Northern Bahr el Ghazal Warrap, Western Bahr el Ghazal and some of them in Unity State” Nyandeng told the minister in a statement also broadcast live on South Sudan Television on Saturday.

The minister called on citizens to cooperate with state government to focus on developmental projects, arguing there can never be development without peace and stability.

“Peace and stability are prerequisite requirements for development. No development can be realised if citizens do not focus on achieving peace and stability. We must embrace internal mechanisms to resolving our local disputes like initiating reconciliation. This helps government at various level to focus on delivery of basic services”, General Nyuon said.

The ministerial visit comes while Warrap’s governor has been criticised by some MPs for sabotaging an attempted vote of no confidence in her ability to lead the state following a series of controversies.

(ST)