SPLA denies involvement in communal feud between Jonglei and Pibor
May 17, 2017(BOR) – A South Sudanese army official has denied the use of military assets in the recent communal fight by Dinka Bor youth against Murle.
His response come after some chiefs in Pibor claimed Dinka Bor youth, were allegedly armed by division eight in Malaual-chat, located in the outskirts of Bor.
“We denied this; we considered it to be nonsense. We are a national army. The troops in Pibor belong to us, they are brigade 23, of division eight, and the commanding officers came from different communities in South Sudan. We have Murle in the army headquarter here in Bor, even in Yuai; we have one among the top commanders there. Among my guards, there are Murle,” said Majok.
“We don’t get involved in the civilian conflicts, so we just ignored it because it was a lam accusation”, he further told reporters at his base in Bor Tuesday.
Last week, the Murle chiefs asked the first vice president, Taban Deng, to give them division nine headquarters to be stationed in Pibor to arm them to the same level with Dinka Bor. They also threatened to kill one of commanders of division eight, General Majur Aleer, who accompanied the delegations, accusing him of providing weapons and ammunition to the Dinka Bor youth.
The SPLA in Bor said they only need peace among the communities so that the youth from all the states join to defense the country.
ILLEGAL MARKET FOR WEAPONS
In April and May, thousands of small arms, had found their way to Bor from different communities in former Lakes state. The youth from Lakes crossed to Bor with their weapons and ammunitions and sell them local to Dinka Bor youth.
A security agent, who spoke to Sudan Tribune on condition of anonymity, said the weapons’ illegal market had grown in and around Bor. An Avtomate Kalashnikova 1947 or AK47, he said, was currently being sold at between SSP30, 000 to SSP50, 000 depending on whether it was an old or new one.
“Other weapons like Russian made PKM machine guns cost between SSP195, 000 to SPP200,000 (about $2,000),” the security official said, further disclosing that the price of rocket launchers, Degtyaryova-Shpagina Krupnokaliberny (DShK), a type of machine gun firing the 12.7 X 108mm cartridge, also commonly known as Twelve (12), and mortar bombs could cost more than SSP300,000.
He however said although the government is working towards ending illegal dealings in arms, security personnel find it increasingly difficult to make arrests.
Ateng Deng, a Dinka Bor youth member, blames those arming the Murle for instigating the conflict that has destabilised the region for decades.
(ST)