W. Equatoria state urges local cooperation over rising insecurity
June 10, 2015 (JUBA) – Authorities in South Sudan’s Western Equatoria state have appealed to the local populations to fully extend their cooperation to the government agents over increasing insecurity in the state in order to get information and provide adequate security and protection to the citizens.
He said the Sunday night attack on a cattle camp about half kilometer away from Maridi town along the Rumbek road, which resulted in the killing of at least 10 people and 7 cows, could have been averted.
The county commissioner explained how the fighting started, saying he received reports from security personnel in the area that unknown gunmen carried out attack on the cattle camp when the cattle owners were not at the camp. They started shooting at the cattle killing seven and injuring six before running away without taking any cattle.
He said one suspect in the Sunday’s cattle camp attack was arrested the same night and taken to Maridi police station for investigation. But he further added that on Monday morning security agents went to the scene for investigation and after they left the camp shooting erupted again, killing one cattle owner.
The cattle owners then carried out revenge attack, killing at least 9 people from the local communities in Maridi, which resulted to displacement of the population in the area as people ran away from the town to take refuge elsewhere, forcing markets and schools to also close.
South Sudan parliament in response on Wednesday announced to form a committee to investigate the cause of the fighting and the resultant death toll which they put at 9 dead.
The Monday’s shootings involved cattle owners from neighbouring states, particularly from Dinka ethnic group of Lakes state, who have been asked in the past to leave Western Equatoria state and were accused of allegedly terrorizing citizens.
Last month president Salva Kiir issued a presidential order to evacuate all the cattle camps from the state.
There are however two different rebel groups in addition to local armed youth or ‘arrow boys’ claiming to have been operating in the area, but the state government said the attack was carried out by unknown gunmen.
South Sudan defence minister Kuol Manyang Juuk last week briefed the parliament on the situation in Western Equatoria state and told the lawmakers that a rebellion was emerging in the state and that action must be taken to nib it in the bud.
But the state government in Yambio said they had no information that a rebellion was emerging and instead criticized the national army for indiscipline in the area.
(ST)