James Atem
Africa-Press – South-Sudan. President Salva Kiir called on the residents of Jonglei State and the Greater Pibor administrative areas to refrain from inter-communal violence and rampant abductions.
Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Bor-Ayod-Malakal-Renk highway on Saturday, Kiir urged the rival communities to embrace peace to foster development and stability in the region.
“Our problem here in South Sudan is not money; it is the inter-communal fighting that has been going on in many parts of South Sudan,” said Kiir.
“I would like to assure you that if you refrain from this inter-communal fighting, there will be a way for development in the country and in Jonglei state.”
He urged the citizens not to accept being deceived by the traditional spiritual leaders in the villages.
“There is a spiritual leader named Makuach who has been deceiving youth by taking them to Kitgwang and causing destruction that a person cannot do to his people.””After fight in Upper Nile, he also led youth to parts of Pibor, where they caused destruction and abducted women and children,” Kiir said.
He stated that child and woman abductions are illegal under South Sudanese and international law.
“I am one of those people who are not happy because if somebody takes my child, I will not be happy. “We need to refrain from that, and nothing will stop us from developing this country— South Sudan,” Kiir stressed.
Recently, Jonglei State retrieved more than 80 abductees and handed them over to the authorities in Pibor.
“Nuer and Dinka communities were not known for abduction, and today you are involved in child and women abductions; where will it take you,” Kiir asked.
Last week, the US ambassador to South Sudan, Michael Adler, voiced concerns about the abductions and called for immediate intervention to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“We are gravely concerned about reports of women and children being abducted, including within the context of subnational violence. We are equally concerned by continued reports of the recruitment and use of child soldiers.
“We renew our call for South Sudan’s leaders to act with urgency to end subnational violence and to hold accountable those responsible for abductions and for all other forms of human rights,” he said in a statement seen by The City Review yesterday.
Source: The City Review South Sudan
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