Marchar visited Jonglei state on Saturday to hold a
security meeting with local authorities after tribal clashes between
cattle herders.
Cattle raids between south Sudanese tribes have
killed 56 people and wounded 16 others in July in Jonglei state, the
deadliest such clashes there in years. The number of people who died was
27 Murle and 29 Lou Nuer.
High level government officials including the
minister of SPLA Affairs, Dominic Dim Minister of interior Paul Mayom
Akech, Minister of Constitutional Development and Legal Affair Michael
Makuey Lueth, Peace commissioner and Southern Sudan DDR commissioner
with other officials accompanied the GoSS Vice-President.
The delegation was received by Governor Philip Thon
Leek and Jonglei officials. Huge crowd came out occupying the road from
airport to the meeting venue in the center of the town.
In his address to people of Jonglei, Riek Machar said
that GoSS president Salva Kiir was unable to visit Jonglei because he is
engaged in SPLM/ANC meeting.
He told the crowd that, a high level delegation comes
to this state "because the government of Southern Sudan is highly
concerned about the insecurity that increasingly becoming a national
issue."
While it was declared that Jonglei state illegal arms
owned by civilian surrendered to the South Sudan DDR, it’s obvious
that, more illegal arms still find their way in the hand of the
civilian. Recently, much of the blame has been poured on cattle raiders
particularly Murley tribe who was not disarmed when the Nuer and Dingka
were disarmed.
It’s true that illegal weapon end up in civilian
hands. "These people must be disarmed. A strategy to disarm those
that are killing innocent people and creating insecurity in the states
and counties will be disarmed." Machar said.
A closed meeting between the government of Southern
Sudan, Peace Commissioner, South Sudan DDR Commissioner is underway. The
result of this meeting will reveal the strategy, when, and how the
disarmament will be conducted in Jonglei state.
