Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Peter Mayen, led a delegation from the United Nations organisations on a visit to Tonj North County.
The minister said the visit was to assess the humanitarian situation of armed local youth who clashed with the SSPDF recently. In a video clip he shared on his Facebook page, Mayen said the residents who returned to their homes were in dire need of assistance.
He hailed the government for disarming the citizens and providing security in the county.
“I advise the youth and every citizen not to return to fighting,’’ he said.
He promised that aid agencies would also give food and medical services to all patients, including pregnant women.
Mayen said they are exploring means to source sorghum from Wau or Kuajok to ensure the residents are food secure.
‘‘[I appeal] to the people of Tonj North to turn to agriculture and leave the strife,’’ he pleaded as he promised to return to the area.
Last month, the Warrap State administration said more than two dozen fatalities and many more injuries were noted over a weekend when armed civilians and security forces clashed in Tonj North County.
Those who died were children and several top military officers, according to authorities.
According to Warrap State Minister of Information, Ring Deng Ading, the fighting broke out after authorities in Tonj North dispatched security forces to recover cattle stolen by suspected raiders from Rual Bet Payam.
Civilians ambushed the security team and killed 18 soldiers during the incident.
“There is nowhere in this world that civilians take up arms against the government. We want peace and dialogue with civilians. We are trying to engage them to drop their arms and remain in peace with the government,” Ading said.
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