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Lobong blames politicians for instigating Toposa killings

Governor Louis Lobong Lojore (Courtesy photo)

By Ijoo Bosco – Kapoeta

The Eastern Equatoria State governor has blamed the state and national politicians from Budi County and their collaborators for influencing the killing of people in Kapoeta North and Machi in series of attacks in greater Kapoeta region.

Louis Lobong Lojore cited some tribal community leaders who planned for the recent cattle raids and that had caused agony for the innocent people and their resources in the last three weeks.

The Governor urged South Sudanese communities to demand for timely conduct of elections next year as stipulated in the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement.

This, he said would help address the current crisis in the country, which are brought by elites scrambling for political Positions, seen as a source of wealth.

“Those traitors are our own neighbors seeking for share in government position, I am calling upon you our communities to support and call for the election so that we go all and engage in convincing you voters to bring us to power but not planning for deadly attacks like this that happened” stressed Lobong.

Lobong was addressing a public rally in Machi area of Kapoeta South County on Saturday.

He said the continuous eruption of crisis was because of too much political bickering over positions.

“I need to tell this, that the suffering you are incurring is caused by these power hungry politicians seeking favour from you and that is why at times you blame us for not delivering services, let’s wait for election and we vote if it comes in their favour we shall go home and cultivate but if it’s on us we shall go on and open a new chapter for development for you all our communities” added Lobong.

Lobong used the occasion to call on the members of the Toposa community to build peace with their neighbors in order to uplift their livelihoods.

He encouraged the Toposa to engage in agriculture to produce food locally, saying food import is no longer available.

“My community we have to cultivate for food in our homes, our neighbors from East Africa have cut off support for us as well as the international friends, that we rely upon, there is nothing we can kneel too we have to build relationship with them despite the past attempt upon us, you are all my people I can’t you, let’s work for peace and reconciliation” he lamented.

The Governor is touring the counties in Greater Kapoeta to drum up support for peace, reconciliation and unity among communities, following a cattle raid in Kapoeta North County on 6th July 2022.

Governor Lobong is expected to address the Buya community on Monday, on the need for creating peace and harmony with their neighbors.

A member of state lawmakers Paul Napwon called upon the state government to visit Greater Pibor administrative area to dialogue with them in order to bring back the raided cattle and for the suspected raiders to face the law.

He also encouraged the Toposa community to let the government follow up the issue through the committee formed to follow up the matter with Pibor administrators to ask them as to why they attacked Kapoeta communities.

Napwon noted that, Toposa communities have been friends to most of their neighbours like Pibor and Budi community for quite a longtime now despite their history of raid that government is working to control retaliation.

A community member representing Machi youth denounced the government called to leave the issue upon them and stressed that they need to revenge back if their resources raided were not returned for them.

Kapoeta North and Machi payam community cattle raiders has left several people dead and over 15,000 heads of cattle raided in a series of collaborated attacks in Greater Kapoeta jointly carried out by the Budi community of Buya, Tennet and Murle youth of Greater Pibor administrative area.

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