Panic rocks Juba as fears of imminent violence gain momentum
July 24, 2013 (JUBA) – Residents of the South Sudan’s capital, on Wednesday erupted into chaotic fear and confusion as a result of a physical fight between two persons belonging to two different communities in Juba Port.
The incident sent a shock wave across the city causing thousands of people to run for their lives in anticipation of large scale inter-communal violence.
The two persons had an argument at the Juba Port which led to the fight. When police personnel were seen running to the scene in order to separate the two persons, people from the nearby places started to run.
Rumours spread very fast throughout the city that an inter-communal violence had ensued and people from different sections of the city began to run from the streets and markets to their houses for cover.
The incident caused several car accidents as commuters panicked and the streets were immediately deserted, forcing people to run on foot for long distances.
The city mayor Mohammed Babala, issued a statement on the state-owned South Sudan TV urging the city populations not to panic as the fight was an isolated incidence between two persons.
Babala did not further explain what caused the fight between the two. Some eyewitnesses however told Sudan Tribune that the quarrel started under a tree on the bank of the River Nile where redundant citizens were charting and taking tea when a Dinka man began to talk about his happiness for the removal of the vice-president, Riek Machar.
When asked by a Nuer man as to why he was so joyous about such a move, the Dinka man told the Nuer man, “what are you going to do now that we have removed your Riek Machar,” forcing the Nuer man to slap the Dinka man on the face.
Shops have remained closed in Juba throughout the day.
President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Tuesday issued a presidential decree relieving his long time vice-president, Riek Machar Teny, and dissolved the whole cabinet.
There exist wide spread rumors and fears that violence may be looming in the city and in other states as political rivalry and the rise of tribalism in the two-year old nation takes its toll.
But the city mayor advised people not to depend on rumors.
POWER VACUUM
There are also concerns that the country may be heading for a constitutional crisis and power vacuum unless the president goes ahead to soon appoint a new cabinet.
Government’s premises on Wednesday were abandoned as offices of the former ministers were all locked by the security personnel and many civil servant staffs of the institutions feared to report to work.
According to the decree, the under-secretaries of the ministries were directed by the president to take charge of their respective institutions.
The Secretary General of the government, Abdoun Agau Jok Nhial, on Wednesday met with all the under-secretaries and briefed them on their responsibilities pending the formation of the next cabinet.
In a statement to SSTV, Agau also revealed that there were mistakes made in the presidential decree in respect to the reduction and organization of the new institutions. In particular he said there was omission of the ministry of health in the list of the ministries as well as dislocation of certain departments to wrong institutions.
All the ministers were relieved but their replacements were not appointed.
NO CONSENSUS ON NEW VICE PRESIDENT
There are wide-spread speculations that president Kiir was still making wider consultations on appointment of a new Vice President and cabinet members.
The speaker of the national legislative assembly and deputy chairman of the ruling SPLM, James Wani Igga, and Riek Gai Kok, the former senior official of the National Congress Party (NCP), who joined the SPLM two years ago, are rumoured to be the main contestants.
The current chief of general staff of the Sudan People’s liberation Army (SPLA), Gen. James Hoth Mai, is also speculated as a candidate for the position of the Vice President, although he reportedly turned down the offer.
Because the ministerial positions are reduced from 29 to 19, it is likely that many of the recently relieved ministers will not come back to the cabinet; making the selection for appointments a difficult one for the president and his close aides.
Several people in the streets of the capital told Sudan Tribune that they were still waiting to know whether the former Vice President, Riek Machar Teny, will be reinstated to his position or who will be the new Vice President before they can express their reaction over the whole matter.
President Salva Kiir, who always visibly moved to office with his motorcades, was not seen in public or on SSTV on Wednesday, feeding rumours that he might have left the city on Tuesday evening before or after the decrees were announced.
However, a former official of the government dismissed the rumours, saying the president and the former vice-president were both in their houses.
The Secretary General of the government, Abdoun Agau, is the one in charge of the government.
(ST)