Category: Humanitarian

Gov. Adil forms committee to investigate Kajo-Keji incident

The Governor of Central Equatoria Emmanuel Adil has formed a five-member security committee to lead an independent investigation into the killing of three civilians in Kiri Boma of Kajo-Keji.

The committee was formed upon the demand of both the national assembly and SSPDF Chief of Defense, who approved the formation of a fact-finding committee into the incident.

According to Derick Derickson, who is the Press Secretary in the office of the Governor, the committee is expected to start its work immediately.

“The term of reference of this security committee is that to lead an independent investigation as for this barbaric incident,” he told Eye Radio this morning.

On Wednesday, the SSPDF Chief of Defense Forces Gen. Santino Deng Wol requested Governor Emmanuel Adil to implement the directives.

In response, yesterday Governor Adil issued a gubernatorial decree forming a fact-finding security committee.

The team is headed by the state minister of Peace Building and four members from the organized force, mainly SSPDF’s Directorate of Military Intelligence, National Security, and the National Police.

They are tasked to probe the killing of the three civilians alleged by SSPDF in Kiri Boma of Kajo-Keji Country.

The committee also will probe what led to the killing of an SSPDF soldier in the area last month, which resulted in the arrest of some civilians in the area.

“The committee will investigate the incident that occurred in Kajo-Keji County on 26 May, 2022 which resulted into the killing of three civilians in Kiri Boma in Kajo-Keji County and one of reference is to find out also the arrest of these civilians by the SSPDF,” said Governor Adil’s spokesperson.

Derickson says the committee is required to submit their fact-finding results within 7 working days as of yesterday.

Last week, three civilians were reported killed by an SSPDF unit in Kajo-Keji County, in what appeared to be a revenge killing.

The soldiers executed two teenagers and a middle-aged man after they found the body of their colleague who died under mysterious circumstances.

 

Medical doctor killed in cold blood in Nimule

A veteran medical doctor was killed in the outskirts of Nimule town on Thursday evening, Nimule Police confirmed.

“He is by the name Patrick Kumunu Wani, who was deployed there in Mugali as a medical officer. During the crisis, he moved together with the IDPs and he lived with them in the church compound”, Nimule Police Inspector, Major David Kasimiro said.

The 75-year-old doctor was found in a pool of his blood at sunset, in what police presume as a targeted killing.

Major Kasimiro said the deceased Kumunu had left the brother’s house Friday when he was killed by unidentified persons.

“On [Thursday], he left the compound to take his radio for repair. When he was coming back, he went to a military barracks to his brother’s house and stayed there until 5:30 PM.”

“His brother told him, please don’t go, you sleep here and tomorrow you will go. He said no, I will go, there is no problem because everybody knows me.”

Dr. Kumunu did not hid to the brother’s advice, to spend the night with him given the precarious security situation in area

“Then he left and before he reached the compound, he met some people and he was slaughtered by those people. And we got the information at 6:30 PM.”

“I sent the police and we got that he was the doctor, and the police have been searching for these people, but up to now, we did not arrest anybody.”

The circumstances surrounding his killing are not clear, and no one has been arrested.

The incident happened a week after a high-level delegation of security officials visited the area to quell ethnic tension.

Kasimiro said there is fear outside of Nimule town and advises people against moving at night.

Congolese army frees detained WES fisherman after ransom.

A Western Equatoria State fisherman who spent nearly a year in detention has been released by the Congolese army after the family paid 700 US dollars.

Gibson Alex, 35,and his young brother, Seme Michael, 23, were arrested by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the border area of Sakure in Nzara County.

Gibson Alex was released on Wednesday this week after the family paid the Congolese authorities a negotiated sum of 700 US dollars.

 “We paid seven papers [$700] and he has been released.He is now with me at home but he is sick and his health is deteriorating. We have taken him for treatment,” his father Alex Taban confirmed to Eye Radio.

Taban said the money was contributed by relatives and family members.

“Some family members contributed with the money and even communities also contributed after reaching what they [Congolese authority] want, we paid for him to be released,”his father Alex Taban confirms.”

The two brothers were accused by the Congolese soldiers of crossing with firearms into the Congolese territory.

After their arrest in October last year, the siblings were transferred to Dungu, a Congolese town in Haut-Uele Province.

They were among a group of people who allegedly attempted to cross for fishing at River Mbuere situated, a few kilometers from Sakure Payam. But, the younger brother, Seme Michael was first released after the family paid $300 to the Congolese authorities.     

UNOCHA releases $19m for the flood response in South Sudan

The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has released 19 million US dollars in funding to help communities in South Sudan prepare for imminent flooding this rainy season.

UNOCHA said in a statement last week that the finance will be channeled to UN agencies and non-governmental organizations to provide coping strategies to people in the Bentiu camps and the surrounding areas in Unity State.

South Sudan is projected to suffer a fourth consecutive year of extreme flooding over the coming months, according to experts.

Tens of thousands in Unity State are still suffering from the aftermath of last year’s flooding, with many confined in poor hygiene at overcrowded camps.

The agency said more than 320,000 people are already displaced and at risk of further displacement, loss of livelihoods, disease outbreaks, and food insecurity.

Sara Beysolow Nyanti is the agency’s Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan.

She said the funding will help build resilience after three years of unprecedented flooding which has devastated people’s lives.

“As the rainy season has started, this funding will enable humanitarian organizations to soften the blow of another crisis by preparing and protecting communities in Bentiu in advance,” she said.

The money was released by two subsidiaries of the agency; the South Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SSHF) and the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).

Some $4 million of the funding is expected to enable NGOs and UN agencies to reinforce dikes around vital access roads, displaced people’s homes, the airstrip, and other infrastructure.

The remaining 15-million dollars-allocations will support people to protect their homes and key infrastructures such as latrines and water wells, from floodwater, and thus aim to avert a public health emergency.

Days ago, the Ministry of Health declared a cholera outbreak in several IDP camps and the surrounding areas of Rubkona County.

Toddler killed in granary collapse in WES

A girl of one year has died after a grain store collapsed in Gangura Payam of Western Equatoria State.

A family member said a heavy downpour around accompanied by a violent storm triggered the deadly incident, reportedly weakening the poles of the granary and leading to its collapse.

“What happened yesterday is people were under the granary store, after it collapsed, a child died and four other people are still alive,” Arcangelo Musura who is the girl’s uncle told Eye Radio on phone.

The incident which occurred Friday in Nambiri village of Yambio County also left the girl’s grandmother injured.
The deceased toddler is identified as Adia Micheline.

Her grandmother Hellen Donato, 50, sustained injuries on the leg while three others survived the building collapse.

“The only person who got injured is the grandmother of the child. The name of the child [deceased] is Adia Micheline and she was one year and eight months.

“So the grandmother is 50-year-old and what happened to her is she got injuries on the leg and she is in the hospital. She is still somehow.”

Donato is currently receiving treatment at Yambio State Hospital.

Granary stores are used for keeping farm produce by many communities in Western Equatoria.

Such storage facilities are locally built with mud and roofed with grass which is also used as verandah.

In September 2017, a woman in her 70s also died after a granary store warped on her in the Baguga area of Yambio County.

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