Lakes state youth write to president Kiir over insecurity in Rumbek North
March 26, 2013 (JUBA) – The Juba branch of the Rumbek Youth Union wrote to South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir on March 15 asking the government to do more to protect civilians from cattle raiding related violence in Rumbek North County of Lakes state.
The letter highlights the recent fighting “especially in the area of Madol and its surroundings” and says asks why almost two years after independence citizens were still subject to “continuing attacks and skirmishes that into killings and cattle raids”.
“It is our conviction that provision of security is first of all the task of the state […] And we would like to raise these issues with the hope that our people in the area will have access to security services that do not have a negative effect on the local population.”
The letter recounts nine violent incidents from January 26 to March 3, in which they allege that raiders from neighbouring Unity state attacked the area.
The youth group “think that no serious measure has been taken to address the issue”, the letter says, adding that local people believe the the South Sudanese army in the area act as “accomplices in the attacks”.
In an interview with Sudan Tribune on Wednesday, Phillip Aguer, the SPLA spokesperson dismissed claims from Rumbek Youth Union members, describing it as “irrelevant”.
“How can the army harass its own citizens? That is irrelevant. We have not received any complains on such matters,” he told Sudan Tribune by phone.
However, the letter alleges that local youth “killed some of the attackers, and found them to be wearing SPLA uniforms” adding that “People on the ground testified that they have seen elements of the army based in Madol in the act of burning almost one hundred house and looting of properties.”
Ambiguity over the of the “nature and composition and tasks of the forces stationed in the Madol area […] in itself poses serious threats that might mount to an outright and large-scale fighting in the ara if the local population begins to be skeptical about the deployment of a force that is composed of one ethnic group, with no clear information as to its branch of the known organised forces.”
The youth group said that it appears to them “that area of Madol, which is part and parcel of Lakes state, has been by some way or another annexed to Unity state, and this is indicated by the facts on the ground.”
Lakes state is predominantly home to South Sudan’s largest ethnic group – the Dinka, while Unity state’s population is mainly from the country’s second largest tribe – the Nuer.
The letter concluded by recommending that extra members of the national police and army be deployed to the area immediately and asked that their security concerns be taken seriously.
The Lakes-Unity-Warrap border is the most dangerous inter-state border in South Sudan with both sides reguarly accusing the other cross border cattle raids and revenge attacks.
(ST)