By Yiep Joseph
Balanda community of Western Equatoria State has petitioned the Council of States to intervene and stop what they describe as targeted killings amidst ongoing conflict in the state.
A delegation comprising members of Parliament, youth leaders, and local chiefs presented a formal petition to Council of States Speaker Deng Deng Akoon on Monday.
They implored the council to take immediate action to prevent the state from further disintegration due to persistent violence.
The conflict seemingly between the Azande and Balanda communities has resulted in numerous deaths and widespread displacement, with both sides accusing each other of initiating hostilities.
Despite ongoing efforts by the government and various organizations to broker peace, progress has been slow. Activists allege that politicians in both Juba and the state are exacerbating the conflict.
Arkengelo Kanewe Minawe, a member of parliament representing Nagero County, spoke to journalists following the petition handover.
He detailed the dire situation faced by the community, citing burnt homes, displacement, and ongoing targeted killings.
Minawe urged the government to take immediate and decisive measures to restore peace and security to the region.
“What is happening in Western Equatoria is worse, and we need the government to intervene and protect its citizens,” he said.
He alleged that the Balanda community has been targeted through the state, and hence there is a need for the government to quickly rescue.
“The Balanda in Western Equatoria are in the bushes with children as they are being targeted by the Azande,” he said.
He expressed that the petition handed over to the speaker is a call on the government to quickly intervene and rescue the citizens by initiating ways to end the conflict.
Kanewe expressed that the Balanda community remain committed to ensuring that peace prevails in Western Equatoria.
He added that the community is committed to dialogue in order to address the ongoing destruction in the state.
Deng Deng Akoon, speaker of the Council of States, vowed to ensure that the petition is taken into consideration.
“We need this one to be taken seriously through official procedures. The legal advisor would later on check on the legal opinion on what you wrote and will give me clear acts on how we can address this issue,” he said.
“I have received your official petition, and these petitions will be sent to the Council of States, and now you will get a response from the Council of States,” he said.
He expressed that there is a need to respond to the call, adding that issues related to conflict need urgent responses.
“We need this to be taken urgently; when people are dying, we cannot wait; we need to help in this situation,” he said.
“Our support as the Council of States will be with you, and we will try our best to raise this one to the higher table,” he added.
On his part, Rommo Kuat, legal advisor to the Council of States, expressed commitment to ensuring that the conflict in Western Equatoria gets a solution.
“I want to assure you from our side as council of states we will do what you think is best to help the situation on the ground.und. You remember two years back we sent a team from here, and you know the team was doing well,” he said.
He appreciated the Balanda community following legal ways to demand quick government intervention toward the continuous conflict in Western Equatoria.
Chief Andrea Katediwe of Balanda Community called on the government to rescue the situation, adding that it continues to worsen as many people continue to be displaced and killed.
Recently, religious leaders in Western Equatoria State condemned “in the strongest terms possible” the ongoing violence between members of the Azande and Balanda communities in Tombura County, a territory covered by the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio.
On 10 February, President Salva Kiir issued a series of decrees unilaterally removing several senior government officials, including Alfred Futuyo, the governor of Western Equatoria state (WES).
Shortly after his removal, Futuyo fled Yambio, the capital of Western Equatoria State, following an alleged attack on his residence. The incident reportedly involved elements allegedly linked to the SSPDF.