Juba county commissioner’s office under investigation over Komiru incident – official
March 26, 2012 (JUBA) – The office of the commissioner of Juba county, Thomas Peter Gore, is implicated in an illegal attempt to demolish area 107 of Komiru in the capital, Juba, which resulted to killing of 10 people early this month, says senior security official.
Clashes occurred for three days from 3rd -5th March, 2012, when a group of people, claiming to be from Juba county authority surprised the residents of 107 of Munuki payam with short notice of demolition exercise.
Two people were shot dead, including one child when the unknown authority personnel shot at the residents who resisted the demolition and fled in a pickup truck. The incident prompted retaliation from the residents who attacked their neighbors suspected to be from the Bari community, killing 8 of them.
In a live exclusive interview with the UN Miraya FM radio on Monday, the Deputy Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Salva Mathok Gengdit, said an investigation has been going on to find out the cause of the conflict, which he said left 10 people dead.
President Kiir ordered the formation of a committee to investigate the issue and bring the culprits to book.
Mathok revealed that some senior officials are suspects in the cause of the incident including the office of the Commissioner of Juba County who he said forged the demolition document and attempted to carry out the illegal demolition exercise defying the advice from the Interior minister, Gen. Alison Manani Magaya, to suspend the demolition until the issue was properly addressed.
He said the commissioner’s office will now be investigated, also citing the commissioner’s secretary for personally involved in the forgery of demolition document.
Mathok said his investigation team has asked for lifting of immunity of some officials so that they can be investigated.
Earlier, residents of 107, who are predominantly non-Bari from Dinka and Nuer accused the member of parliament representing Munuki Payam for inciting the incidence, which the MP denied.
The deputy minister however said the violence was not tribally motivated but came as a result of “some individuals who acted foolishly in the demolition.”
He said a soldier and police officer, including the father of the child who was shot dead on the first day of the incident, are also suspects in the incident.
Mathok however registered his disappointment over how the parliament was so divided during his presentation on the incident.
The deputy minister said the residents of 107 area in the outskirts of the capital had been settled in the area for three years and built concrete houses. He criticized the parliament for not pushing for the resolution of the land issues since independence last year.
(ST)