Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The governor of Western Bahr el Ghazal State, Emmanuel Primo Okello, on Wednesday directed the local authorities and security forces in Jur River County to work together to stop the rampant looting of trucks and travelers along the Wau-Tonj Road.
Last month, reports emerged of recurrent looting of trucks by armed bandits along the road.
Addressing the public in Nyiwara during the handover ceremony of a multipurpose farmers’ center constructed by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Jur River County on Wednesday, Governor Okello said the local authorities should immediately contain the problem.
“This is a public road, and it is the responsibility of the government. This road was constructed to facilitate services to the citizens and for traders to transport their goods. Sometimes, criminal activities happen on this road, and criminals loot trucks, and this has created insecurity,” he said. “As governor, I will work with you you the local chiefs, intellectuals, and security organs in this area to apprehend these criminals.”
Governor Okello also urged the SPLA-IO forces in the area to cooperate with the security organs patrolling the road.
“If there are members of SPLA-IO present here, I need them to cooperate with the security organs present in this area because we will not allow criminals to terrorize the stability that we have,” he said. “We do not want to send off the investors from our nation. If the security is conducive, any businessman can come here and invest. I want an immediate stop to this looting of trucks on the road.”
Meanwhile, Stephen Robo Musa, the chairperson of the civil society network in the state who doubles as the state coordinator of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), welcomed the governor’s directive.
“We welcome the governor’s call requesting the community to support or contribute to combating insecurity within the community because it is a collective responsibility,” he said. “The community has a great role in checking crime because they know they know the behaviors of individuals and newcomers in their residential areas.”
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