SPLA says army and SPLM should share blame for Jonglei deaths ArticleComments (17). Email PrintSave --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
December 7, 2011 (BOR/KAMPALA) - The spokesperson of South Sudan’s army said Wednesday that both the SPLA and the government should "share the blame" for not combating insecurity in Jonglei state, with more than 1,000 people dying in attacks over the last six months. Wounded woman and her child at Jale payam in Bor county. Dec. 7, 2011 (ST)The Jonglei state parliament held an emergency sitting on Wednesday after a cattle raid killed around 40 in Akot village in Jale payam [district] of Bor county on Monday. Lawmakers demanded South Sudan’s army (SPLA) be deployed to the area and demanded that the security services in Jonglei state protect civilians. The parliamentarians also urged state government to carryout a disarmament campaign in Pibor county, where the attackers are believed to be from. The state parliament’s speaker Peter Chol Wal, said disarmament and humanitarian assistance should be priority in responding to Monday’s incident. UNMISS team and villagers in front of the remains of Luak (Dinka Bor tradtional building), Akot, Jonglei, South Sudan, December 6, 2011 (ST)There is speculation that recent disarmament programmes carried out by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and police in the region have made some communities more vulnerable to attack than others. Villagers in Akot told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday that they had been let down by the South Sudanese army, police and government. “We have no protection from the government; this village is already destroyed by Murle,” a local chief said. SPLA spokesperson Colonel Philip Aguer, told Sudan Tribune that he is "surprised" each time there is a "massacre" in Jonglei as the SPLA’s division 8 is in the state to prevent such attacks. Aguer said the whole system from the government down to the army has to be blamed for the killings but was not certain that disarmament campaigns were to blame for the cattle raids, which often also involve child abductions. The SPLA spokesperson said that the military should sit down with local government and draw up ways to better protect communities in South Sudan. However, Jonglei state governor, Kuol Manyang Juuk, dismissed claims that his government had failed to avail suitable protection to civilians. Manyang told Sudan Tribune that the latest surprise attack occurred 40 miles away from Bor town, in an area not accessible by road. He said the SPLA forces of division 8 in Jonglei were stationed at Panpandiar barracks, about 50-60 miles away from the area and would have need military helicopters in order to reach the area in time to intervene. “Even the army here cannot be blamed”, said Manyang. Governor Kuol Manyang Juuk in his office in Bor Feb. 10, 2011 (ST file)Manyang acknowledged lack of roads as the biggest challenge facing the state in handling insecurity issues. “I have been complaining about the lack of roads in Jonglei to the national government but no response”, he said. The few military helicopters the SPLA have are grounded in Juba and have not been made available zonal divisions to improve their mobility and respond to attacks the governor said. The army’s presence in Jonglei “is too small to provide protection” considering it is the largest state in South Sudan and the number of people killed in cattle raids and by rebel groups in the area. Local police needed to be armed, Manyang said, in order to help the army respond to security situations. “The failure is not on our side”, said the governor calling for a fact finding committee to inquire whether a failure of either his government or the SPLA had failed to stop recent attacks. Jonglei’s minister of local government, Diing Akol has been summoned to answer questions in parliament about the attack. He is expected to appear this week. According to Jonglei information minister Isaac Ajiba Ochang 39 people were killed in Monday’s "surprise attacks" including children and elderly people. He said the state government is doing its best to develop its forces across the state but poor roads hamper their ability to react to incidents. Chief Philip Bol speaking to press in front of the remains of a Luak (Dinka Bor traditional building), Akot, Jonglei, South Sudan, December 6, 2011 (ST)On Tuesday a local chief told Sudan Tribune that at least 40 people died and 30 were injured following the attack. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan has said it will deploy peacekeepers to the area. Twelve children are missing, scores of huts have been raised to the ground, 1,300 cattle, 400 goats and all stores of grains were either looted or burnt according to Philip Bol Deng, a local chief in Akot. On Wednesday Jonglei’s information minister became the latest official to allege the attackers were Murle tribesmen from Pibor. Since South Sudan’s independence raids and counter raids have continued in Jonglei state. Over 1,000 lives have been, thousands more displaced and large numbers of cattle looted this year between June and August in counter attacks between Murle and Lou Nuer tribesmen in Pibor and Uror counties respectively. Bor county commissioner Maker Lual Kuol, said “39 people were killed on spot" including women and children. Four people were still missing he said. He called upon humanitarian organisations to offer assistance to those affected. Bor state hospital told Sudan Tribune that lack of drugs was handicapping their ability to treat people’s wounds. Several of the injured were referred to Juba hospital due to the lack of health equipment and drug in Bor. (ST) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/SouthSudanKob?hl=en.
