SPLA and humanitarian agencies slow to help displaced, says Twic East commissioner
August 16, 2013 (BOR) – The commissioner of Twic East county in Jonglei state on Friday accused South Sudan’s army and humanitarian agencies of not doing enough to protect and provide for nearly 15,000 people who were displaced in a recent cattle raid.
Dau declined to say where the displaced persons had moved to but two days ago, John Amuor Kuol, one of the MPs representing Twic East County in Jonglei state assembly, said that the displaced persons moved to Maar, the district’s administrative headquarters.
“You know, it is seven days since cattle camp was raided in Alelei. People in Alelei deserted their village because they waited for [South Sudan’s military] to come in to protect them but [there has been] no intervention from the army. Now they have moved but humanitarian agencies to provide them with somethings they need”, Dau told Sudan Tribune in Bor.
The response of United Nations agencies to displacement in Pibor county is “quicker than in our places”, according to Dau.
“Why do they take sides? If they hear anything in Pibor they move in quickly, why? Civilians are civilians, they should be treated equally”, he continued.
The commissioner said that South Sudan’s army – the SPLA – had promised to send in a force to protect people in Alelei but a week on from the attack there is no sign of the soldiers.
“This is not the first time we were raided here in Twic East. In July, cattle camp at Pator was raided. And before that, a camp just next to Alelei [Pajut] was raided. We didn’t see any intervention from the SPLA side. We just wonder why SPLA fails intervene in such crisis”, said Dau.
In the last attack in Alelei, Dau said nine people were killed and seven were wounded. An estimated 87 cattle were killed, 32 were wounded and more than 10,000 cattle stolen.
Two attackers were also reported to have been killed in the same attack.
“That place is a dangerous zone. In December 2011, Jale was attacked and the attackers came through the same route. It was the same way they came when they attack Pajut and lastly Alelei. We need the army to be deployed there”, he said.
(ST)