South Sudan president decries rampant killings in Juba
November 25, 2017 (JUBA) – South Sudan president Salva Kiir has decried rampant and indiscriminate killings carried out by the unknown gunmen, ordering security organs to improve and tightened the current level of insecurity in the capital.
President Kiir said development situation over the past weeks has not been encouraging for the citizens, ordering the minister of national security, the defence and interior ministers to put extra efforts to improve the situation.
“This issue of people being killed and those behind the killings are not being identified needs to be addressed with urgency. The situation has not been encouraging for the past weeks for the citizens and so you, the minister of security need to work together with your colleagues in defence and interior to improve the situation. The situation should not go like that,” President Kiir told top security officials on Saturday.
The president said conducive security situation should be created so that citizens in Juba and beyond would be able to celebrate Christmas without fear of any threats to life and properties.
“You need to hard to change this situation so that the citizens can go about their normal life and celebrate the Christmas in an atmosphere of peace and assured security. You need to identify these elements who are creating this unnecessary situation,” said Kiir
Presidential adviser on security affairs Tut Kew Gatluak told Sudan Tribune on Saturday the security organs have been directed to coordinate efforts and activities to ensure citizens are safe to attend to their daily life during Christmas season.
“There are plans, strategic plans already put in place to improve security situation before Christmas,” Gatluak told Sudan Tribune.
He stressed that a joint operation centre has been launched to reduce insecurity during Christmas celebrations.
“Their government under the leadership of his Excellency the President of the Republic, General Salva Kiir, is not leaving any stone untouched to improve this situation so that lasting peace and complete environment of stability return to the whole country,” he adds.
The comments of the president and his aide on security followed a recent wave of rampant killings of the citizens by an unidentified group.
The director of communications at the relief and rehabilitation commission, Peter Nyale Gatkuoth, an immigration officer, Akec Piol Mawel, and Bol Deng Miyen, an associate of former army chief of staff have been killed in the current month of November.
Miyen was shot dead on Friday evening while returning from a hotel in Juba. Relatives say he had gone to meet officers and political dissidents with links to the former chief of staff.
(ST)