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Sudan Tribune

Plural news and views on Sudan

Jonglei’s Pochalla county calm after recent shootings

June 21, 2015 (BOR) – Calm has returned to Pochalla county in South Sudan’s Jonglei state after a recent shooting incident, which claimed two and displaced several others.

The map of Jonglei state in red
The map of Jonglei state in red
Pochalla is situated at the South Sudan-Ethiopia border.

John Abulla, who represents Pochalla South in Jonglei state assembly, said the security situation in the north and south had returned to normalcy.

On Saturday last week, a group of 13 youth from Pochalla north county travelled south and killed a World Food Program store guard and wounded another in an attack.

“No arrest have been made after the attack [but] the culprits were later known to be members from the royal family of King Agatta Akwai,” Abulla told Sudan Tribune.

“The same person who shot the police is the same person who shot his colleague. Before he died in hospital two days later, he said his colleague shoot him, he told his relatives that this person killed me”, he said.

The youth of Pochalla South county reportedly mobilised themselves to launch a retaliatory attack in the north, a move that led to mass displacement there. The mobilisation was detected and quickly put off by Anuak intellectuals in Juba and Bor.

“People were fleeing the town because they were fearing that there woul be fighting in town. We talked to the youth of Pochalla south not to revenge, we ask them to let the issue be followed by the government”, said Abulla.

Following the creation of Greater Pibor Administration Area (GPAA) after signing the peace between South Sudan Democratic Forces-cobra and South Sudan government, former Pochalla county was divided into Pochalla south county, with its headquarters in pochalla town, and Pochalla northern county, established its headquarters in Ajobe.

Both north and south counties had long term political differences about representations, which many suspect has been the root causes of last Saturday’s shootings.

“They suppose to claim leadership from their own county. Their food is there, if they want to loot it. What makes them to come and kill person in another county, because of food? To me, I will not say it is something related to food. No, not at all”, he continued.

The law maker urged the communities to restore peace and adhere to it, calling upon the king and county commissioner to arrest the culprits and bring them to face justice.

(ST).

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