By Tereza Jeremiah Chuei
The concerned community leader from greater Tonj of Warrap State is appealing for peaceful measure to quell tension and end violence against armed civilians in Tonj North County.
Their call came following the recent incident which have claimed lots of lives.
According to the information, people who were killed including government military generals and soldiers on 25th of June 2022 in Rual-bet Payam of Tonj North County, Warrap State.
The killing reportedly caused by clashes between armed cattle raiders and government forces who were in recovery mission of stolen cows from armed civilians.
The youths were reportedly overrun the military camp where the recovered cattle were kept, hence inflicting heavy casualties on government force.
Media reports indicated that the incident led to several houses set blaze, resulting into the displacement of the local population.
Meanwhile, a concerned member of Tonj community interim leadership and former governor of Warrap State, Lewis Anei Kuendit, expressed profound sorrow and deep regret for what he described as an unfortunate fight pitting a unit of the government forces against armed civil youths of Awan-Parek in Rualbet.
“I take this opportunity on behalf of Tonj community in Juba, to convey my deep sorrow and condolence to all the families’ on both sides as a result of that armed confrontation,” partly reads the statement issued to the public on June 27, 2022.
The statements also condemned all those who triggered the incident and appealed for calm, requesting restraint and de-escalation of the situation on both sides.
“I appealed for dialogue through civil engagement as the Awan-Parek civil community is supposed to be given the opportunity to address State government demands in their area,” the statement added.
However, Edmond Yakani an activist and the Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) said the on-going subnational and communal conflict across South Sudan is caused by lack of seriousness by the political leaders to graduate the unified forces.
He underlined that the armed forces are no longer having strength to prevent those ethnic, communal violence adding that, if unified forces where graduated then they would have had the strengths in providing safety and security to the communities.
He continued to call on the presidency under the revitalized agreement to discuss issues that are delaying unified forces.