Jonglei governor briefs parliament on rebel caused insecurity

March 26, 2013 (JUBA) – The governor of Jonglei, South Sudan’s most troubled state, Kuol Manyang Juuk, on Monday briefed the national parliamentary security committee on the ongoing insecurity situation in his state.

Jonglei state is known for inter-communal violence, cattle raiding and child abduction, which dates back to 1960s. Its magnitude has been however recently increased by the prevalence of automatic light weapons in the hands of the civilians for the last 25 years.

Governor Kuol Manyang also told the parliamentarians the southern part of the state has also been struck by the armed rebellion of David Yauyau, a former priest turned rebel and based in his home area of Pibor County, inhabited by the Murle community.

Yauyau, supported by the Sudan government according to South Sudan’s officials, rebelled in 2010 after losing elections while contesting for the state parliamentary seat to represent his Gumruk constituency in Pibor County.

The rebels have been battling the South Sudan’s army (SPLA) for the last three weeks in the renewed military confrontation following the brutal killing of unarmed Lou-Nuer civilians who were on their seasonal migration to water points. They were intercepted by the rebels in the wilderness massacring over 100 of them, mostly women and children.

Kuol told the parliament that lack of access roads in his state has contributed to the insecurity as organized forces had difficulty accessing locations where incidences occur.

Meanwhile, South Sudan’s army has registered considerable success in dislodging the rebels from their hideouts. General Gony Biliu said the army has destroyed or captured several rebel bases and were now on the run in the forests.

The rebels, according to the army, has lost direct battles and has resorted to the guerrilla warfare, dividing themselves into groups of 10 and 20, and laying ambushes to intercept the movements of the SPLA before melting back into the bush.

The army, however, said their forces were successfully combing the vast forests and closing in on the rebels, which they said were being surrounded from all corners in the county.

The army also admitted that its forces had suffered some casualties when they were ambushed by the rebels on the road as they were moving between Boma and Pochalla areas in the state.

(ST)