Lakes Governor lifts curfew following inter-clan clashes
By Manyang Mayom
April 29, 2008, (KHARTOUM) — The Governor of Lakes State, Lt. General Daniel Awet Akot has lifted the curfew on Monday in a sign of the amelioration of the security situation in the state.
The curfew was imposed as a result of the clashes between two Dinka-Agar clans over the ownership of the Kuoc cattle camp, which left 12 people killed, and more others wounded admitted at Rumbek regional hospital.
Lakes state Information minister Agad Chol said that fighting had erupted on Saturday morning at Kuoc cattle camp on April 26.
However, governor Akot had directed his government to summon the local chiefs from the two warring clans to provide proof of the ownership of the camp. He affirmed to Lakes state citizens to solve their home affairs issues through non-violence.
Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) troops are already deployed in the cattle camp. The main Rumbek regional hospital is under military control since wounded people are flowing into hospital for treatment; in order to prevent renewal of clashes, Akot said.
Meanwhile, Lakes state former information minister; Hon. Adak Costa Mapuor expressed disappointment over the inter-clan fighting of Amonhom and Athoi, which she termed as “friendly clans in Lakes state”. This is the second time that the two clans are fighting over this cattle camp Kuoc following the local government decree banding off kuoc from citizens ownership.
Lakes state authority last year 2007 had agreed that Kuoc cattle camp must to be under state government supervision until further notice so that to avoid conflict among two clans.
Last week, 95 people were killed and 42 seriously wounded including three women in the same similar ethnics intertribal fighting between Luach-jiang of Warrap state and Pakam of Rumbek north county of Lakes state.
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Mapuor Malual Manguen
Lakes Governor lifts curfew following inter-clan clashes
The heavy deployment of military in Rumbek here over this clashes is not a solution to this problem as the same methods did not produce lasting settlements in the past, but only economic sources like cattle may end up as target causing discontent in the community.
What I need is a genuine-permenant settlement with inclusion of elders from either side to give correct information on the matter.
I don’t see any solution when an heavily armed soldier go on rampage beating of innocent vulnerables like women and elderly on the pretext of solving the problem. It is in fact not the solution, but increase more anxiety and intimidation on the population