By Bida Elly David
The government of Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) has hit back at the Jonglei State government describing the accusations labelled against Murle youth for allegedly attacking ARC road workers as wild propaganda saying there was no justifiable evidence to prove the allegations.
GPAA government cautioned Jonglei State authority over unjustified accusations on Murle youth over any continuous attacks on highways noting that all the blames were means to tarnish the reputation of the area and the leadership.
In a statement extended to No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper yesterday, Abraham Kelang the GPAA information minister said that the accusation of the youth concerning the highway attack on ARC road workers distracted their attention.
He said it was quite difficult to prove that armed youth from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) perpetrated the attack since there’s no clear evidence justified to stand as facts.
“Our attention has been distracted by the wild propaganda labelled against our Murle Youth having involved in attacking ARC Company along Kadiang-Akobo road. It is quite difficult to prove such an accident when there is no eyewitness or evidence to prove it”, he said
Kelang urged the national government, peace partners, and international communities as well as the entire public to treat the accusation as rumours meant to stop the progress of the highway project.
“The government of Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) would like to inform the national government that what was released by the government of Jonglei was a manufactured rumour to block or stop this Kadiang-Akobo road from construction,” he said.
GPAA information minister also underscored that the accusation was labelled against the youth to block the extension of road infrastructure to Lou Nuer and the Murle community at large.
“This is an intension done to Lou Nuer and Murle Community so that construction of roads in the two locations should stop after it has reached their area apart from Uror, Akobo, Pibor, Pochalla and Jebel Boma,” he said.
He stressed that GPAA youth have no political agenda to wage attacks on developmental projects in the area saying that their mandate is to fight for their rights.
“We believe that greater Pibor youth are not interested in people or equipment that are moving without cattle. The government of greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) reiterates its commitment towards peaceful co-existence of our people and the people of Jonglei,” Abraham said.