Africa-Press – South-Sudan. South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Tuesday met in his office with the deputy army chief Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam and deputy intelligence chief Gen. Yiei Dak and directed the security chiefs to address, with immediate effects, the ongoing violence in Nimule which has killed five people.
This comes a day after a group of armed youth attacked a Ma’di community meeting killing the chief of Anzara, John Ebele, sparked violence that has killed at least five people and wounded several others including the Nimule police inspector.
In a statement, the presidency said Kiir met with his security advisor and a team from the national army’s command led by General Gabriel Duop Lam and directed the security forces to end the violence to avoid further escalation.
“President Salva Kiir Mayardit met with the Presidential Advisor on National Security Affairs, Hon. Tut Gatluak Manime together with Command of the SSPDF and the Other Organised Forces,” the presidency statement seen by Sudans Post reads in part.
The meeting, according to the statement, was for the deputy army chief to brief the president “on the general security situation in the Country with particular emphasis on the current security situation that has engulfed Nimule Town in Eastern Equatoria State, which resulted to unfortunate loss of lives and destruction of property.”
The statement said Kiir expressed concerned over the escalating violence and directed the army and other security forces to find a solution with an immediate effect to enable for return of people who have been displaced as a result.
“The President expressed concern on the prevailing security situation in Nimule town and directed the security apparatus to address the situation with immediate effect in order to return the town to normalcy as well as bring the perpetrators responsible for the incident to book,” the statement added.
In a statement to address the violence on Tuesday morning, the governor of Eastern Equatoria state Louis Lobong called for calm and urged members of the Ma’di Community who fled violence for Uganda to return, saying that some people have bad intention for their land.
“I called on the people of Eastern Equatoria State to exercise maximum restraint and to continuously look forward to building a peaceful, united South Sudan free from conflicts and tribal animosity,” Governor Lobong said.
“We called on the people of Ma’di to remain in their areas and those in the refugee camps should come back and rebuild their lives in the country. There are people who have an ill intention for your land,” he added.
Speaking to Sudans Post yesterday, the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) Edmund Yakani urged the central government in Juba to intervene with immediate effect to prevent further escalation.
“Government should intervene to prevent the violence escalation among the conflicting g communities. Government should allow UNMISS to establish temporary protection base (TOB),” he said.
While urging the conflicting communities to abstain from violent acts which may lead to further loss of live, the activist called for justice for those killed as a result of the violence.
“CEPO is calling for Conflicting communities to abstain from violence that may lead gross human right abuses,” he said.
“Perpetrators who extrajudicially killed the chief should be arrest and trial in Nimule without any excuse and the security administration of Nimule reform,” he added.
Yakani told Sudans Post in a separate interview that CEPO was launching a peace camp against increasingly escalating inter-communal violence that has killed thousands since independence and has only witnessed escalation in recent years despite downtrend in political violence.
“With the recent increase in deaths caused by armed inter-community violence across the country, CEPO has decided to launch a ‘National Peace Camp for Prevention of Deadly Armed Communal Violence.’ This initiative was triggered by the loss of over 360 human lives and high loss of properties worth to over $500,000 in less than a month in 2022, according CEPO early warning system,” he said.
“The peace camp activities will be focusing on prevention of violence, non-violence and writing of history on our deadly communal violence and building of peace ambassadors across the country. The initiative will further localize UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security and UNSCR 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security,” he added.
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