South Sudanese police refute claims of alleged Juba killings
June 3, 2014 (JUBA) – South Sudanese police on Tuesday dismissed as baseless reports that over 20 people were allegedly killed at Mia Saba (107), a residential area west of the capital, Juba.
The official was reacting to reports more than 20 people, mostly returnees from the United Nations protection camps where they were sheltered for months, had gone missing from their homes.
Authorities from Juba teaching hospital initially said they received at least 20 dead bodies minus their heads, but later retracted their statement, insisting the bodies were not from Mia Saba area.
Although Sudan Tribune was unable to independently verify these reports due to safety and security concerns, several sources and residents insisted some of their relatives were missing since Sunday.
“I have no reason to wish my relative death. What I am saying is the truth. My sister’s husband, Peter Tut and James Nirew with more than four others in our family have been missing since Saturday. We thought they had returned to the United Nations camp in Thongpiny, but we did not find them there when we went to look for them”, James Gatkuoth Both, a resident of Mia Saba said on Tuesday.
He added, “We also went to the house of Uncle Daniel Koang in Atlabara B, to see whether they had gone there to visit him, but we were told they did not come”.
The police spokesperson, however, dismissed these reports, saying the security situation in the whole of Juba had improved and called upon internally displaced persons in the UN camps to return home.
“There is no need for our people to continue to remain in the camp when the general security situation in Juba had improved considerably,” said Col. Enoka.
“There is already a regular joint patrol with United Nations mission in South Sudan [UNMISS]”, he added.
(ST)