By Charles K Mark
Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) calls for joint strategies on combating communal attacks in Jonglei, Pibor and Central Equatoria, triangle.
CEPO’s Executive director, Edmond Yakani points to the new chief administrator of Pibor, the newly appointed cabinet of Jonglei state and the new governor of Central Equatoria State, to under take the task.
He also appealed to Eastern Equatoria State cabinet to join in establishing a plan to handle the continuous armed cattle raiding, abduction of women and child, that have always ended into violence.
Yakani believes that armed violence within the triangle and Eastern Equatoria is getting worse, claiming many human lives, destruction of properties and livelihood.
The activist said such acts are a primary driver of revenge attacks which serve as a fertile ground for violation of human rights.
“It is essential that the political leadership take time for setting concrete and functional plans for the prevention of deadly armed communal violence, which is also politically motivated,” Yakani urged.
Yakani worries about the scale of food insecurity imposed by the armed violence, causing internal displacement.
“The scale of poverty imposed on the communities by the deadly armed violence is growing to the level that makes the attitude of earning livelihood through criminal acts becoming normal,” He added.
CEPO wants the affected States and Administrative Areas to urgently act and substantially put an end to the vice.
Last week, Eastern Equatoria State Parliamentary Caucus (EESPC) in national assembly condemned an attack in Kauto Payam, Kapoeta Eastern County.
The legislators suspected that armed youths from Pibor Administrative Area were responsible for the deadly attack.
Over 32 people were killed and about 26 wounded, with more than 90 women, children including some elderly, were on April 23, 2024, abducted by the assailants.
The raiders also went away with over 16,877 heads of cattle and 6,853 goats and sheep in Kauto as a result of the brutal attack, according to local authorities.
Meanwhile, in January this year, chairperson of the Human Rights Commission in Jonglei State, Deng Aruei Yak demanded that attackers of the brutal killings in Duk County be brought to book.
Deng blamed the attacks on the Greater Pibor Administrative Area and called upon the authorities in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) to report the criminals for the law to take its course.
In other attacks, a pastor and four people were killed in series of attacks in Duk County of Jonglei State.
According to local authorities, the pastor was travelling with his children to Toc Island when they were ambushed.
Duk Padiet County Commissioner Peter Latjor Chuol said the other attack took place in Payuel, resulting in the loss of four lives and seven others injured.
Meanwhile, Greater Pibor Aauthority has condemned the recent attacks on Kauto Payam in Kapoeta County, carried out by armed cattle raiders from the Pibor.
Abraham Kelang Jiji, the Information Minister of GPAA, in a statement seen by this outlet stated that the Administrative Area’s Authority is committed to restoring the recently signed peace agreement between GPAA and Eastern Equatoria State (EES).
“Greater Pibor Administrative Area is committed to implementation of resolutions of peace accord signed between Eastern Equatoria State and GPAA communities, so that the beloved people of sisterly states can enjoy the dividend of peace like other communities in the parts of the country,” the statement read in parts.
He further mentioned that the government of Pibor would utilize all necessary means to take decisive action against those found to be accomplices in the Kauto cattle raid that occurred on April 23, 2024.
The government also pledged to make every effort to recover, return, and reunite the abducted children and women with their families, as discussed in various peace conferences.
GPAA and EES had previously achieved normalcy and security stability along the highways, enabling free movement of goods and services.
The GPAA authority assured that it would make significant efforts to dismantle the plans and activities of those attempting to disrupt the peace.