Drunk policeman to be sacked, South Sudan prepares to provide security over Christmas

December 17, 2012 (RUMBEK) – The South Sudan’s head of police Lt-Gen Acuil Tito has warned that policemen found under influence of alcoholic will be dismissed from their duties while on a visit to Rumbek.

Tito was in the capital of South Sudan’s Lakes State on Monday to oversee police setting up security measures ahead of celebrations over the Christmas period. Speaking at a parade at the police headquarters, Acuil instructed police to always wear uniform during working hours.

Lakes State Governor Chol Tong Mayay held a closed-door meeting with South Sudan Police Inspector.

South Sudan needs “peace within our communities” before and after Christmas, Tito said, adding that routes used by cattle raiders must be closed to prevent the practice causing divisions between the country’s many ethnic groups.

After the decades of civil war that preceded the 2005 peace agreement culminating in South Sudan’s independence last year, the young nation is still awash with small arms despite numerous government disarmament campaigns.

Tito said that cattle raiders and bandits were causing insecurity in some parts of South Sudan as well as militia insurgency in Jonglei and some other states. He said that confronting these problems as well as disarming civilians was the way to improve security.

South Sudan’s Ministry of Interior has tasked the Police Inspector to tour all the nation’s ten states of before the Christmas celebrations begin on December 24. Lakes State was the first state Tito has visited in order to assess the security situation and the performances of police, army and other organized forces.

(ST)