By William Madouk Garang
South Sudan government has bitterly dismissed the claims that government is behind the ongoing conflicts in parts of the country.
Deng Dau Deng, the deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation described the accusation against the government for being behind conflicts as ‘untrue’. He proclaims that his government is committed only to peace implementation.
“The outside assumption is that, there is a plan of the members of the revitalized agreement to fight. They claim that there is a plan that the government is the one sponsoring the violence at state and county levels,” he said yesterday while addressing foreign diplomats on the reports about recent communal conflicts in the country.
“I want to categorically say the claims against us (the government) is not true. The national government and the states have no involvement, or condone anything of that kind,” he declares.
“We want to assure our international community that the government of South Sudan will not relapse back to war,” he added.
Deputy minister, Mr. Deng stated that the people of South Sudan have suffered enough and its vital to provide them with peace so that they should develop their capacity, create their own jobs and wealth.
He added that the government has directed the security apparatus to provide adequate security to all citizens in Upper Nile, Jonglei, Pibor Administrative Area and other parts of the country to restore security and stability.
“The government has condemned what the youth are doing in Pibor, and urges them to stop the act. The level at which they have reached is a serious criminal offense,” he stressed.
Weeks ago in December 2022, the US ambassador to South Sudan, Ambassador Michael J. Adler accused unspecified number of politicians in Juba for being behind the ongoing conflict in the restive Upper Nile region.
“The United States is gravely concerned by credible reports of continued human rights violations and the impunity enjoyed by those perpetrating such acts,” Adler said in a statement on Human Rights Day.
“It is clear that political actors in Juba bear responsibility for much of the violence in Upper Nile State and must act to end it,” he added.
The US envoy to Juba, Mr. Adler also called on South Sudanese leaders to act with urgency to end human rights violation and hold perpetrators accountable.
On the same note, a prominent activist, Edmund Yakani on December 27, slammed the national government for being reluctant in quelling the ongoing conflict in Greater Pibor Administrative area.
“These armed youth have attacked Gumuruk town and we are worried that in the act of overrunning the town they might have committed gross human rights violations against civilian population,” Yakani said.
“A real genocide is happening in the eyes of our leaders, yet there is no quick response in protecting civilians,” he added.