Western Bahr El-Ghazal hosts 414 displaced people seeking return to Rumbek

By Manyang Mayom

February 8, 2009 (WAU) — The intertribal conflict between Dinka Agaar of Rumbek East County and Jur-beli of Wulu County has come to an end resulting in over 414 people fleeing to Wau in Western Bhar El-Gazal state, of which most of them are children and women.

The over 414 internally displaced people (IDPs) are seeking to safely return to Wulu county in the south of Lakes state. The Wulu county conflict took place from January 18-21, in which over nine people were confirmed dead and many later went hungry in addition to more people being separated from their families.

Agaar elders of Rumbek East County strongly condemned the killing.

According to Lakes Minister of Social Development and Child Welfare, H.E. Peter Gwen Riak, who visited Wau advocating for the return of Wulu people from Western Bhar-El-Gazal state to Lakes state, the return trip is voluntary although the government is offering to provide transportation free of charge.

However, a Lakes state parliament member, Simon Waiwai Ali, who hails from the Wulu constituency, said that one child among those who fled to Wau during the fighting has broken the upper side leg because such children are unaccustomed to running up and down to the high level of buildings. He noted with alarm that all those children have grown up in a place which has no platforms but now they are here in Wau where they are playing around platform buildings.

In a separate development, the government of Lakes state last Friday arrested 30 youth who are cattle rustlers in Rumbek.

According to a Lakes state government official source, there were reports of tension between the Duor-Bar clan and Duor-chiek clan, which resulted in an exchange of gunfire at Bar-Pakeny.

But the situation was brought under control and the duty was taken seriously by security and military police. The youth were captured alongside the roads by National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) and military police patrolling the areas of Rumbek East due to the speculations of inter-clan fighting. These youth are now locked up in custody awaiting further investigations.

Recently, at the local peace consultation conference hosted by three counties inhabited by the Agaar community, the Governor of Lakes state, Lt. Gen Daniel Awet Akot, estimated that 1,420 people died in the state in cattle rusting and inter-clan clashes from 2007-2008, as well as 25 people already killed since the beginning of 2009.

At present, the Governor of Lakes state has been summoned to appear before the parliament of Southern Sudan to answer to allegations that his state has failed to provide security.

(ST)