By Mamer Abraham
Jonglei State governor and the Chief Administrator of Greater Pibor have complained of interference by some politicians in the recurring communal conflict between the two areas.
Lokole Amee, the chief administrator of the Greater Pibor, told the August House that some politicians were lobbying for their positions by causing havoc, rendering the authorities vulnerable to executing their duties.
“Here we come to present difficulties in states, and there are some politicians who have their own hidden agendas they are trying to present in August House,” Lokole argued.
“There are some members in August House who are campaigning for seats as governors or chief administrators. And so, they are trying to take this opportunity to mobilize other MPs, even insulting them for personal issues,” he claimed.
The chief administrator argued that the conflict between Jonglei State and GPAA did not want a blame game but a collective approach to address it.
Meanwhile, Jonglei State governor, Denay Jock Chagor, said he craved a lasting solution to cattle raiding and child abduction but felt sad when he saw the issue being politicized.
“Rt. Honorable Speaker, if I had a solution in my hand, I would have done it without waiting for anybody to tell me to do it. I would have done it with all my heart. This is something that is so dear to me, and I get so upset when I see it being politicized,” Denay said.
He urged unidentified members of the August House to put aside politics when handling matters of national interest.
“I ask this August House, let’s keep politics away and let’s discuss things that are important for this country,” he maintained.
Denay warned against division among leaders, which he said was inherited by citizens who imitate their leaders.
“So, imagine if leaders were divided; how divided would our citizens be? If the leaders that they so trust that they admire, and that they look up to are divided, how divided would they be on the ground?” he added.
The governor and chief administrator, however, did not mention the politicians who were fueling the conflict and trying to campaign to replace them from their political seats.
Stephen Ajongo, a lawmaker, said the resolutions to settle the issue of inter-communal conflict between Jonglei State and GPAA need the committee for national security at the parliament to be empowered to gather relevant information concerning the matter.
He further suggested that the national government should decide on the matter to end it once and for all.
Eche Barri Wanji, another member of parliament, said the reciprocal cattle raiding and revenge attacks between Jonglei State and GPAA amounted to terrorism.
He argued that over 3,000 forces should be deployed at Gadiang to prevent confrontation from either side.
“I can say what is taking place in this area can be tantamount to terrorism. These are people using terrorist methods to achieve their goals. We don’t have to wait for Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram to attack for us to be shocked by the practical aspects of terrorism,” he argued.
“If we can deploy three thousand strong forces from the army and both the police, they will be able to counter the belligerent forces within that area from advancing, and as such, there would be a deterrent in between.”
On Tuesday, the minister for interior stated that the total number of people who have died in inter-communal violence in Jonglei State since January 2023 was more than 80.
The parliament resolved the speedy deployment of unified forces, peaceful disarmament, and dialogue, among other means, to settle the matter and ensure all the abducted children were returned and reunited with their families.