Africa-Press – South-Sudan. A network of civil society organizations in Western Equatoria State has declared that the ongoing conflict in Tambura is politically motivated, not tribal, as the acting governor warns, “time to act is now”.
The statement was made following a meeting on Tuesday with the Acting Governor of Western Equatoria State, Daniel Badagbu Rimbasa.
Speaking on behalf of the network, Wanga Emmanuel, Chairperson of the Network for Civil Society Organizations, expressed deep concern over the persistent insecurity in Tambura and the risk of further escalation.
“We congratulate [the Acting Governor] for the move he’s taking to transfer his office to Tambura to make sure that Tambura gets the peace it deserves,” Emmanuel said.
He emphasized that the nature of the conflict could not be described as tribal, citing the presence of sophisticated weaponry in the area.
“What we have discovered in Tambura is that the crisis is not tribal. Tambura crisis is political. That’s why you see big guns being used. Local chiefs cannot buy RPGs, PKMs, and so forth,” Emmanuel explained.
“That’s why we have seen that the Tambura crisis is a political one, and it can only be solved through a political process.”
The civil society group also commended the recent reopening of the Western Equatoria State Legislative Assembly—a move they had long advocated for to enhance democratic participation and legislative oversight.
In response, Acting Governor Rimbasa affirmed the civil society’s assessment, stating that the conflict is indeed political in nature.
“Our aim in Tambura is not to go fight war, but to restore order and peace in the place, and to make sure that guns can only be in the hands of the military,” Rimbasa said.
“The issue in Tambura is political. You cannot get big guns in the hands of civilians fighting people.”
He added, “It’s political, which has just been sugar-coated to make it appear tribal. It’s not tribal—it’s political. And I know that if we leave it like that as a government, a bigger problem is going to emerge from this Tambura conflict, and it will affect the whole of South Sudan. The time to act is now.”
The Acting Governor’s decision to relocate his office to Tambura was also applauded by the civil society groups, who view it as a demonstration of leadership and commitment to peace.
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