Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Minister for National Security, Obuto Mamur Mete, has given Hiyala Payam administrators seven days to surrender criminals or face repercussions of their refusal to comply.
Mamur threatened to return to the villages to trace criminals himself should they fail to heed the directive. “If you don’t hand over the criminals to the Government in 7 days, I will come here and look for the criminals myself”, Mamur said. He ordered the youth known as Monyomiji to embrace peace instead of perpetrating violence in the communities.
The Eastern Equatoria State governor’s press revealed that there had been retaliatory killings in the villages of Hiyala Payam as well as robberies. The latest incident was the killing of a traveller at a place called Idolu on Thursday last week.
Gen. Mamur ordered the youth of Haforiere, Tirangore, Mura-Hatiha, Hiyala Loguruny, Iloli, Ilieu and Chalamini to shun violence. He reminded the people of Hiyala Payam of their full participation in the liberation struggle, calling on them to rethink their current behaviour that has undermined the unity of the Otuho people.
The Governor of Eastern Equatoria State, Louis Lobong Lojore, called upon the citizens to rally behind the government by ensuring that crimes are eradicated and the youth ensure the protection of workers constructing the highway.
Criminals warned
On his visit to Camp-15 last week, Mamur urged the youth to stop road ambushes adding that the government would respond if no change is realised.
“The government is dedicated to securing the highway, and anyone who interferes with people’s passage will face consequences,” he said. He advised communities to help the government in maintaining law and order
Ending crimes
Last year, the governor of Eastern Equatoria State Louis Lobong led a security team tracing of criminals who had killed a driver and wounded three. The team returned 50 stolen goats as the governor pledged his government commitment to curbing crimes in the state.
On December 22, 2021, traders were lost their property at a place called Hakuma Maafi where the crime rate is reported to be high. Last month, a delegation from the villages of Haforiere, Tirangore, Mura Hatiba, Hiyala, Loguruny and Iloli requested the state government in New Kenya, Tirangore to assist them in curbing crimes.
The state government pledged to mobilise necessary resources to clean the state of criminals which was in line with the resolution at the governors’ forum in late November that all the governors and chief administrators should curb insecurity in their areas.
Army accused
The blame games have played out over the attacks in the past. For instance, in October last year, a member of parliament in the Reconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly (R-TNLA), Julius Moilinga, accused South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) deployed along the Juba-Nimule highway of involvement in criminal acts.
“On the 20th of this very month, some of the soldiers patrolling along this road without any instruction from anybody decided to go on rampage apprehending people who were just preparing their homes. They came from the camps, a huge number of them and arrested [the people] and [robbed money from them],” Moilinga revealed.
Moilinga called on the ministries concerned to swiftly deter such acts to ensure that refugees who return from the refugee camps do not end up being harassed to instill fear so that others might not return home.
“I rise to inform this house in the presence of the minister of defense and veteran affairs, the minister of interior and other concerned ministries that time of impunity is over. Whatever happens in South Sudan we must criticize whether in Aweil, Upper Nile, or Equatoria? The people have to come home and rebuild their lives because enough is enough,” he said.
“We don’t want nonsense in this country. We don’t want to give chance to the rebels to say that now look, it is the same SSPDF soldiers who are disturbing civilians,” Moilinga stressed.
The celebrations were followed by an ambush along Juba-Nimule highway on August 16 where two catholic nuns were killed between Aru junction and Kubi along with three more passengers.
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