Jonglei assembly opens to tackle increasing crimes

By Thon Philip Aleu

May 11, 2009 (BOR) – After over a lengthy holidays Jonglei state Legislative Assembly open Monday with lawmakers and executive pledging to end tribal feuds through peace talks and all-means disarmament.

Jonglei Gov. Kuol Manyang Juuk, in a statement read on his behave to the assembly by Deputy Gov. Hussein Mar Nyuot, told lawmakers to develop efficient and effective policies in order to provide quality services to the State citizens. Governor Manyang traveled to Juba in the early hours of Monday for official visit.

Both Speaker Jodi Jonglei Boyoris and Gov. Kuol Manyang embark to peace conferences as a way forward with hopes to strengthen policies and involvement of leaders at all levels as well as “unconditional disarmament” for the on-going peace talks to hold.

“The commitment of the State Government is to provide quality life services to all citizens…..[which] can only be realized when there is relative peace,” Gov. Kuol said adding “to achieve this goal therefore, our collective efforts both the executive and legislative is to develop policies that would produce efficient and effective procedures and mechanisms….as the State Government is committed to unconditional disarmament.”

The community conflicts, Gov. Kuol says, are further aggravated by wide spread of possession of illegal arms among civilians. Absence of effective legal frame work, Gov. Kuol says in the Statement, is a second challenge after insecurity.

State policy guidelines, as part of the Governor’s address to the House, centered on establishment of strong governmental organization and management at all levels, total reorganization of public service – merging of the then two parallel civil servants of Civil Authority of New Sudan (CANS) and Coordination Council of Southern Sudan (CCSS) into one guidance which Mr. Manyang says is already achieved.

Stability of security situation, delivery of basic services to war ravaged communities, infrastructural development, promotion of food security to reduce poverty and promotion of voluntary return of IDPs and refuges were also among the policy guideline.

The Governor, however, skipped assembly request to tell his decision about the ministers ousted in 2008 despite assembly calls that the duo should resign. The State ministers voted out last year are John Antipas Ayiei for Education and Biar Deng Biar for Agriculture who did not also attend the opening session earlier Monday. Speaker Jodi Boyoris says the assembly will remain patient awaiting the decision of South Sudan President whom he claimed is handed the new structure of the State Government by Governor Kuol.

Jodi asks the work of the two ministries should be “frozen.” He, hwoever, says he enjoys the relationship of the legislative with the executive in the State which he says will help to culminate the high level of crimes.

The opening the assembly comes at a time chiefs from five counties are engaged in peace conference in the State capital Bor. Cattle theft, unlawful killing, grazing land and water points crisis, border disputes, illegal arms possession, violation of peace agreements and lack of law enforcement are some of the agenda chiefs are trying to settle. At main time, the chiefs say, it is necessary to make peace.

About the worsening insecurity, Jodi is not solely for about disarmament. “Even though the long term solution is disarmament, there is need to join hands and come up with immediate solution through [peace] conference,” he said.

Asked after the session how peace agreements may hold give loose arms in South Sudan, he says: “This time, we must be serious about peace agreements. Implementations must take place. We are going to involve all chiefs, all commissioners and the intellectuals.”

But due to poor infrastructure, Mr. Boyoris says, efforts to reach the youths organizing intertribal conflicts are difficult. Because the youths are not addressed frequently by leaders, child abduction and raiding is done with a lot of impunity.

Speaker Boyoris praised UNMIS [United Nations Mission in Sudan] latest provision transport by plans and argued the peace keeping body to continue with the help. If there is access to address youths to discontinue crimes, Jodi says, the rate of conflict will be lowered.

In what appears as a new strategy to keep commissioners closer to lawmakers, the assembly will also ask them to give their plans to the legislators. Slacking taxation and revenue laws will be closely reviewed as a priority alongside insecurity.

Malick Ceesay, UNMIS State coordinator, told reporters following Speaker Jodi call for UNMIS to continue lending a hand to Jonglei that the support will persist.

“Today [Monday] we are deploying one battalion of UNMIS military to Pibor….and another one battalion will be deployed to Akobo starting from tomorrow [Tuesday],” Mr. Ceesay said. The UN peacekeepers will be stationed there for four weeks to monitor the tense situation there.

UNMIS deployed troops between Bor and Murle following latest clashes at Mac-abol at Anyidi to monitor the situation which had grown tense that time.

(ST)