W. Equatoria governor lauds Home Guards efforts in protecting the
local communities
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July 13, 2011 (YAMBIO) – The state governor of Western Equatoria,
Bangasi Joseph Bakosoro, on Wednesday lauded the efforts and strength
of the home guard formerly known as Arrow Boys for protecting the
communities of the state aganst Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) attacks.
JPEG - 39.6 kb
WES Governor Joseph Bakosoro and First Lady Angelina, Bangasu, 13 July 2011 (ST)
Home Guards are local vigilantes protecting civilians under attack
from insurgents in Western Equatoria state (WES).
The LRA is a militia originally from North Uganda. They have been
raping, murdering, mutilating and abducting in the region for many
years with little discernible goal. Their leader, Joseph Kony, is
wanted by the International Criminal Court for his crimes. Attempts by
the international community to contain the nebulous LRA have failed.
Addressing the gathering at Makpanadu, Bangasu district as part of
continued celebration of South Sudan’s independence on 9 July,
Bakosoro said the “home guards have played a key role in protecting of
the local population resulting in some relative peace in the most
affected areas.”
Bakosoro encouraged the local population to be security-conscious in
their various villages.
He stated that with the birth of the new nation, time has come for
nation building that has to be free from “discrimination, division and
hatred.”
Bakosoro decried the division amongst the citizens of Bangasu, calling
on them to reconcile their differences and live in harmony.
South Sudan’s Minister of Transport and Roads, Anthony Lino Makana
hails from Bangasu.
Over the past few months controversy arose in the district over the
relocation of its headquarters, which if approved by central
government, will become county capital.
The governor urged all the five executive chiefs of the district to
sit and decide within two weeks on where to locate the headquarters of
the district and give the report to the district administrator to
forward to the state authority.
Bakosoro called upon the people of Makpandu to have harmonious
relations with the Congolese refugees whom he said are part of the
Azande tribe who were divided during the colonial rule predominantly
into, South Sudan, south-eastern Central Africa Republic (CAR) and
north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
There are estimated to be 2.2 million Azande in South Sudan, making
them the second largest ethnic group after Dinka.
He also encouraged the chiefs to take care of the forests more
specially the teak trees, mahogany and to prevent illegal logging.
Bakosoro urged the communities to work on the agricultural sector.
The commissioner of Yambio county, Angelo Bakote, also from Bangasu
called upon the citizens of the district to be “united in this new
nation.”
The advisor to the district development community, Richard Noti, who
was a former speaker of the state assembly appreciated the visit of
the state governor as part of the continuation of the independence
celebrations in the state.
South Sudan proclaimed nationhood on July 9, 2011 at landmark ceremony
attended by world leaders including President Al Bashir of North
Sudan.
Noti called upon the government of the new nation to speed up the
process of the by-election of the district which was postponed during
April general elections after the death of one of the candidates,
Alison Mangie.
“We lack development of the payam [district], poor education system,
no voice in the assembly just because nobody is representing the payam
in the state Assembly,” he said.
The leader of the Home Guards in Bangasu, Santo Diko reiterated their
position to protect the land from the intruders, the LRA until they
are chased from the state.
“We have managed to remove the Umbororo from the area what is
remaining is the LRA rebels who are still disturbing the region,” he
said.
Umbororo are a nomadic ethnic group originally from West Africa with
distinct cultural practises. They have often been subject to
discrimination and suspicion in Sudan as a whole.
Since April 2011 the chiefs in Yambio County resorted to giving
contributions to the Home Guards to boost their operations against the
LRA as the official security apparatus was unable to cope.
(ST)
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