SPLA’s behaviour destroys peace in South Sudan
Editorial, the Juba Post
October 19, 2006 — The behaviour of some soldiers towards civilians is detrimental to the success of the hard won Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). Several incidents occurred this month, which raise concern. According to reports from Kworijik-Luri, a village seven miles north of Juba, some soldiers believed to be SPLA went and fenced up an area in the village, which they wanted to use as a training centre for soldiers.
The CPA stipulated that land belongs to the community. The soldiers should have consulted the community. If they had done that, they would have given another location for the training centre. This area had been given to the Sudan Catholic bishops conference. The citizens reacted by destroying the fence. In return the soldiers arrested six people, including the chief of the village, Disendro Tongun. The citizens were warned not to touch the fence again. The citizens, having no power, performed a traditional ritual, slaughtering a black ram as a kind of curse.
On 15 October, a parish priest Alfred Jubek, was going for prayers to Jongoli village. Soldiers aiming a gun at him, ordered him to sit down. He sat there for two hours before he was released.
The next day the vicar general of the Catholic archdiocese of Juba, Fr Thomas Igga and five other clergymen, coming from Terekeka, were ordered by some soldiers to sit down and asked to tell their tribes! Again they pointed with a gun.
Less than two weeks ago, an army officer, at Hai Game residential area, repeatedly slapped a wildlife forces warrant officer who is also a chief. He was old enough to be his father. The officer was harassed in his own compound. The same officer came three days later with a car full of armed soldiers to terrorize the civilian neighbours for allegedly attempting to burn his house. The person who went near his house holding a lit fire turned out to be a mad man. All the same, the poor mad man was badly beaten up by the soldiers.
Another incident happened at Eliaba James Sururu’s house at Nimara 3. A soldier chasing some girls, staying at Eliaba’s house, kicked in the door and demanded the girls to be handed over to him. He claimed that the girl had insulted him. Eliaba is a well known member of the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly. This soldier could not give the old man some respect!
There can be more and more incidents happening in the areas. The point is that the authorities must introduce disciplinary measures to deal with such elements in the army. The southern Sudanese have suffered long enough to be harassed in peace time by their own brothers. Once the citizens lose confidence in their own soldiers, the enemies of peace will have a foothold in southern Sudan and the achieved peace will dwindle.