By William Madouk Garang
Era of rewarding insurgents who flee to bush and wreak havoc in the country with high ranks is over, President Salva Kiir Mayardit said on Monday.
The President made this remark during a meeting with a group of chiefs from Greater Mundri of Western Equatoria State, who briefed him on defies affecting provision of basic service and security in their areas.
“The People that are still running and defecting to the bush and causing harm to be compromised with high ranks, those days are over,” President Kiir said.
“The chapter of war has ended, and we are not going to tolerate it anymore. We are working on peace, and we need development for our people,” he continued.
The President emphasized to the chiefs that the armed groups along the highways are distracting the government from delivering services to the people at the grassroots.
He urged the chiefs to cooperate and support the government by creating conducive environment to enable the government to deliver basic services to the people at the grassroots.
“Our people need development, roads, schools, and hospitals. And we need security along the roads in order for the government to deliver the services,”
President Kiir also outlined the role played by the Chiefs during the liberation time when they were fighting in the bush.
For his part, chiefs’ representative, Joseph Ngere Paciko stated that the chiefs discussed the need for investment in the agricultural sector since the road construction project is going well.
The chiefs also discussed the issue of insecurities on the roads, particularly between the areas of Jambo and Lenyi where some groups of armed people burn cars along the roads.
“They said they would initiate talks with the armed groups that are roaming the roads to lay down their guns for the government to deliver services to the people at the grassroots,”
The chiefs further assured the President that they will join hands with the government in addressing the issue of insecurities along the roads.
The chiefs gave their full support to the President for the ongoing road project by providing free sand and marram to enable their road to be constructed in order to help bring development and improve the agriculture sector in their homeland.