Western Equatoria unveils peace plan to resolve insecurity
October 13, 2015 (JUBA) – Authorities in South Sudan’s Western Equatoria state have unveiled peace plan to resolve recurring insecurity situation in the area by stepping up consultative and sensitization strategies with different groups and stakeholders in the state.
“The proliferation of small firearms and light weapons in the country, including Western Equatoria has been one of the sources of insecurity in this country and Western Equatoria is no exception. As the state government, we are doing the best within our power to try to resolve by rolling out peace strategies to engage in dialogue for a peaceful resolution of whatever issues that is there [rather] than opting to forceful action to bring peace,” he explained.
The escalation of security situation in the state, he said, has resulted in roadside ambushes and attacks on convoys for different purposes including looting, abduction and random shoot out at night in some places like Yambio town.
He further explained that confrontations between members of the other organised forces, such as the police and South Sudanese army (SPLA) on one hand and the local population in the state on the other hand has been rocking the state.
Church leaders, civil society groups, chiefs, he added, will be involved to meet the groups of arrow boys and armed groups to know their grievances and needs in order to allow the government to address the problem.
He revealed that the caretaker governor of Western Equatoria state, Major General Patrick Raphael Zamoi, is in Juba to make follow-up on the amount of 5 million South Sudanese pounds pledged to arrow boys in 2008 which have been demanded all along by Arrow Boys.
The Minister explained that the state’s top executive official will meet with the military command in Juba in order to consult on how the soldiers in the state could be controlled from causing violence, particularly among the communities in the three towns of Mundri, Maridi and Yambio.
The state official also commended the efforts of Arrow Boys for fighting Ugandan rebels known as the Lord’s Resistant Army (LRA) and nomadic communities called Ambororo in the state since 2006 and for providing protection to civilians as alternative force since there had never been enough police forces.
He acknowledged reports that movement of unknown groups moving at night and abducting youth continue to increase in Yambio and there are reports that most of the youth are disappearing in the town which the local community believe they are going to the bush as rebels.
He said government has been exerting efforts to identify the group but no particular leader or a prominent community figure or organised groups have come up to declare the rebellion in the area.
Night curfew starting at 10pm to 6am has been imposed by the caretaker governor for the past three weeks and patrol of the organized forces in Yambio town has been initiated as one of the key security strategies and steps to address the insecurity in areas under Yambio county.
(ST)