By Ijoo Bosco
Eastern Equatoria state Minister of Local Government and Law Enforcement Agencies, urges youth to renounce revenge and embrace peace in the state.
Minister, Peter Lokeng Lotone was responding to a recent surge in insecurity along Kidepo Valley, which raises alarm in the region.
On August 7th, two children, Boyi Ongie (7 years old) and Odwa Okwahi (12 years old), were killed and mutilated with pangas while scaring birds on a farm in Lobira Boma.
Just a few days earlier, on August 4th, an elderly man named Onito Okudo was shot dead while bathing in a stream near the Lobira Cahari headquarters, allegedly by youth from the Buya community in Budi County.
Minister Lokeng acknowledges the persistent insecurity in the area and calls on local chiefs and youth to refrain from revenge and instead seek peaceful resolutions to their problems.
“Peace is not the responsibility of the government alone. When you are looking for peace, it’s all of us, including those who are killing people. They are also looking for peace because there is no peace that the government can achieve alone without the citizens,” Lokeng said.
He further emphasized the need for the community and the government to work together to address the issues of peace, stating that the government cannot achieve it alone without the cooperation of the civilians.
Ikotos County Commissioner, Mr. Timon Lolori, confirms the recent killings and acknowledges that such insecurities are weakening the administration.
He highlights the issue of civilian gun ownership as a significant challenge, stating that it is “very difficult to control” and requires “serious government enforcement.”