Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Lawmakers in the national legislature hailing from Western Equatoria State yesterday held a consultative meeting to devise ways to resolve the raging violence in Tambura County.
The meeting held under the auspices of veteran politician and elder, Angelo Beda brought together MPs representing different counties in the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) and Council of States to generate ideas that will set the stage for restoring order and reconciling warring communities in the restive Tambura.
The violence between the Azande and Balanda communities has been ensuing since June this year, resulting in the killing of about 200 civilians and displacement of 80,000others out of the area according to media reports.
In his remarks, the former co-chair of nationalsteering committee Angelo Beda, proposed the establishment of ‘Magistrate Court’to try perpetrators of killings and other crimes committed in the violence.
“A magistrate court can go there in order to start prosecuting those who have killed,” he said. Bedasuggested that the courts would be establishedin Yambio the state capital and Tambura.
In recently, locals have accused national government politicians from the state of fueling the Tambura crisis. Armed groups including those allied to SPLM/A-IO, armed elements from Central Africa Republic and tribal militia from Balanda community based inWau, Western Bahr el Ghazal State were said to be players in the protracted conflict that has left civiliansin dire humanitarian consequences.
Beda hailedthe recent efforts by the governmenttorelocate SPLA-IO forces outside Tambura to deescalate the violence. He however cautionedthat elements accused of atrocities within the relocating SPLA-IO forces mayescape justice.
“People think it is the [SPLA] IOforces [that causedthe fighting], so collect them from thatplace [the outskirts of Tambura]and go butwhat about the people who have been killed? Their relatives have just keptquiet, what the government will do about it,” he wondered. “Nobody beingpunished, anybody can get up and kill anybody because people are not beingarrested,” he added. Beda also proposed deployment of more police forcesto restore law and orderand protect properties.
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