South Sudan councils of states meet in Bor, calls for immediate cease
fire and disarmament
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January 27, 2012 (BOR) - South Sudan Council of states, the second
house in the new country’s Juba parliament, held a session in Bor on
Friday to discuss insecurity in Jonglei state, which has seen fighting
between rival tribes 120,000 people the UN says.
JPEG - 80.6 kb
Akobo youth taking a wounded person into an IRC plane. 23 Jan. 2012 (ST)
The council called for an immediate ceasefire among the warring
Luo-Nuer and Murle tribes and for the Jonglei government across the
state. The speaker of the Council of States, Joseph Bol Chan, said
that they had come to Bor, the state capital, to encourage the state
government to do more in order to normalise the situation.
Between June and December last year over 1,000 people died in raids
and counter raids between the cattle raiding groups.
The Luo-Nuer attacked Pibor County displacing over 50,000 members of
the Murle tribe. Pibor’s Commissioner has estimated that over 3,000
people were killed in the two-week long raid. The UN has dismissed the
figure.
Since the 8,000 armed Luo-Nuer pulled out of Pibor there have been
reprisal attacks against Akobo County people.
Jonglei governor, Kuol Manyang had previously appeared before Council
of State on January 11, to give security report in Juba.
In his speech before the Councils of States on Friday governor Manyang
said the South Sudan army (SPLA) and police had been deployed in Pibor
and the other counties that experienced insecurity.
Manyang told the meeting that chiefs in Akobo and Pibor, which he
visited last week, are calling for immediate disarmament to remove
what he termed as “evil arms in the hands of civilians,”.
The governor appealed to the Council to give pressure the South Sudan
government to increase the number of security forces in the state,
disarm the people during this dry season, avail food to the affected
people and to allocate some funds for the construction of roads in the
state.
Earlier this month the South Sudan government declared that Jonglei
was disaster area and called for immediate humanitarian aid to the
affected counties.
Members of the Councils of States accused Jonglei politicians and
intellectuals of inciting the communal violence.
James Magok, a member of the Council, representing Lakes State,
accused the Jonglei politicians of having a hand in encouraging the
tribal feud.
The fighting had damaged the reputation of South Sudan, which became
independent in July as part of a peace deal with north Sudan.
Isaiah Kulang, another member of the Council of States, warned that
many more could die if the tribal attacks are not stopped.
John Masua, a member of Council of States representing Western
Equatoria suggested an immediate cease fire be announced among the
tribes in conflict.
At the meeting it was suggested that the economic roots of the problem
needed to be addressed. Many South Sudanese rely on cattle for their
livelihoods, status and to pay for brides.
Unless young men were engaged economically the problem of cattle raids
is likely to continue, members of the council said.
Governor Manyang agreed that poverty levels among the young men who
carry out the raids needed to be addressed.
However, on Wednesday the deputy governor it was the abduction of
women and children and the killing of old people in the raids that had
triggered the surge in fighting over the last month.
Kornilus Lado, a member of Council representing Central Equartoria
state, asked the Juba Government through the Council to grade South
Sudan regions according to the level of development and needs.
According to Lado, Jonglei has the highest level of poverty and is the
least developed state and therefore should be given extra funds.
The Bishop of Bor, Ruben Akur Ngong issued a request on Thursday that
Christians pray for peace in the state.
(ST)
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