By Matia Samuel Timatio
Chief of Defense Forces of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) is calling for the formation of a fact-finding committee and immediate investigation of killing in Kajo-Keji County, Central Equatoria State.
Lt. Gen. Santino Deng Wol Chok wrote a letter to Central Equatoria State governor Emmanuel Adil Anthony asking him to urgently form a team that can probe the carnage in Kiri Boma, Kajo-Keji County.
In the letter seen by No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper, the chief of general staff and his office wants a fact finding into the killing.
“I present my compliments and take the honor to request your esteem office for urgent formation of the proposal for formation of facts finding committee to Kajo-Keji for an immediate fact finding,” he started in the letter.
The Chief of Defense Forces further stated that the issue of Kajo-Keji is so persistent with conflicting reports of recrimination giving leadership doubtable accounts of the events to make informed decision.
Gen. Santino Deng Wol said that in light of the incident in Kajo-Keji, he proposed the formation of ‘facts finding committee’ that would comprise of members from different security apparatus along with Central Equatoria State to establish facts finding in Kajo-Kaji county at a shortest possible time.
He said that they shall comprise of Central Equatoria State, SSPDF-MI, NSS-ISB and lastly South Sudan police service (SSNPS).
However, the Spokesperson of SSPDF Major General Lul Ruai Koang reiterated that there are conflicting reports on what happened in Kajo-Keji.
Lul said that, it was the reason why his boss wrote a letter to the governor asking him to form fact-finding committee.
Maj. Gen. Ruai stated that for them to be sure on what happened, they thought of forming joint committee, investigative team so that the committees become independent in their work.
“It’s an allegation that SSPDF are behind the killing. They have their own version that their colleague was first killed under mysterious circumstance and civilians were having their version, so all stake holders are having conflicting versions. For us to know exactly what has happened the best way is to have a joint committee independent of the interest groups,” the army’s spokesperson stated.
Lul Ruai argued that there might be stake holders who might have direct interest in toasting facts.
He said this would be the beginning of investigation expected to lead to the arrest and prosecution of the culprits. He appealed to the public to give time as they probe the incident.
“In anything that involves murder because there is death in this case, first was a soldier followed by civilians and some people have used it as a revenge to attack, we do not want to press the law, let them go and do their investigation and come with their findings and recommendations,” Maj. Gen. Ruai stressed.