By Adia Jildo
The paramount chief of Morobo County has called on the government and humanitarian organizations to support its citizen with food aid after hungry soldiers allegedly under the command of the SPLM/A-IO confiscated food and no n-food items from the locals.
Alex Taban, the paramount chief of Morobo County said though calm has returned to the area, they are currently facing hunger as their food stuffs were looted and feared returning to their homes after the incident that forced them to flee.
“There is hunger as our food has been confiscated by the military personnel who came from the cantonment sites,” he said. “We are badly off, we can not stay without food, we got tents but we don’t have food, it’s hard,” he echoed.
The paramount chief said their hopes have varnished after the act of the soldiers on the civilians have become disturbing and wished if they (soldiers) would be transferred away from the people.
“If soldiers are disturbing us, let them be taken away from here, we expected their stay to be peaceful but not to take away what we have,” he decried.
Alex is worried that the absence of food supply to the soldiers by the national and state governments will create more harm to the civilians.
“If these soldiers are hungry, they will come and take our food which is not good; we are scared and had to run for safety.”
The commissioner of Morobo Joseph Mawa however said despite their outcry to the government to respond to the needs of the displaced people, the government has paid a deaf ear to their outcry.
“There is no humanitarian support extended to the displaced persons including food and medication,” he said. “I aired the issue to the state government to support us.”
He however said there has been assurance from the army commander in Morobo that the perpetrators of the incident will surely be brought to book.
The commissioner called on the state government to urgently respond to their cry as most people fled their homes and now have food for survival.