South Sudan: Warrap and Lakes states appeal to the executive to stop tribal violence
February 8, 2012 (JUBA) – Members of the national parliament and community leaders from the two states of Warrap and Lakes have appealed to the national government to reconcile rival communities and conduct a comprehensive disarmament.
Leaders from the two states, on Wednesday, conducted a joint meeting with the Vice President of the Republic of Sudan, Riek Machar, in Juba and discussed a wide range of issues, particularly on the insecurity situation in their respective states.
The meeting revolved around the urgent need to initiate peace and reconciliation processes by revisiting the Wunlit Peace Conference of 1999 that brought about peaceful coexistence between the Dinka community of Greater Bahr el Ghazal and the Nuer community of Unity state.
Ministers in charge of the security sector Oyai Deng Ajak, National Security, Alison Monani Magaya, Interior, and Majak D’Agoot, Defence, also participated in the deliberations.
In a press statement released on Wednesday by the official press secretary of the vice president, James Gatdet Dak, the MPs and community leaders from the two states presented a letter to the vice president urging him to personally intervene and try to stop the intra and inter-communal violence involving Warrap, Unity and Lakes states.
The meeting came four days after national ministers and parliamentarians from Jonglei state conducted a similar meeting with the vice president on the insecurity situation which befalls the state.
The participants discussed the need to carry out simultaneous and comprehensive disarmament exercise of the communities in the three states.
The lawmakers revealed to the vice president that all the three states of Warrap, Unity and Lakes have not successfully disarmed their respective populations, contrary to claims by some of the governors.
The MPs and community leaders further explained that the three states have only carried out partial and selected disarmament in their respective states leaving within each state some sections of communities with arms.
They called on the government to carry out a comprehensive disarmament exercise and put in place mechanisms to verify the results of the exercise in the states.
The MPs also called on the government to provide humanitarian assistance such as water, food and medicines to the affected communities of Tonj East County due to the recent inter-communal violence in the state.
They also raised concern over lack of effective communications between the three governors in order to amicably address the insecurity situation involving their respective states.
(ST)