Insecurity on the rise in Jonglei, amid calls for peace with Murle

February 26, 2016 (BOR) – South Sudan’s Jonglei state has continued to experience loss of human lives and several cattle raids, despite calls for a peace conference between the Dinka Bor and Murle ethnic communities.

On Thursday, a woman was killed and four others were injured when the car in which they were traveled was attacked at a village in Bor county.

Twic East and Duk counties, within a week, experienced series of cattle raids carried out by Murle ethnic tribesmen, local officials told Sudan Tribune on Saturday.

Bor county commissioner, Mamer Ruk suspects the attackers were Murle raiders who earlier laid an ambush on the road between Bor town and Baidit.

“Unfortunately, the car fell into the ambush of the cattle raiders, suspected to be Murle youth, they fired at the car, killing one woman and wounded four people in the car”, said Ruk.

Eyewitnesses admitted at Bor civil hospital, said Murle men shot at them.

Among those wounded was a woman only identified as Aduot, who had just returned to Jonglei state from an internally displaced camp in Uganda.

“I wanted to go and clean my home so that I can start life there. I am not happy to stay outside. I better die in my land. It was on my way returning home when I got shot and I have injuries”, Aduot, how in hospital, narrated.

“I was with the driver in front, they shot me, and shot another old woman who died, and the driver went straight without stopping. They kept shooting us from behind the car that was now the time when these women were also injured”, explained another victim.

The commissioner, however, said they would deploy enough policemen to maintain security in the counties that have been experiencing instability.

“It is just a matter of time and the government will put in place security measures to make sure that all civilians are safe, whether in town or in the villages”, assured Ruk.

Plans, he stressed, are underway to engage the Boma state government into organising a peace conference that brings Dinka Bor and Murle communities together.

“We will never surrender, because the role of the government is to advocate for peace and stability among the people, we are still in contact with the Boma state to make sure that the peace that was scheduled for January 2016 kicks off in March”, said Ruk.

Meanwhile, the governor of Jonglei state, Philip Aguer, condemned the incident when the he visited the four victims of the attack at Bor civil hospital on Friday.

(ST)