Category: Politics

US diplomat calls for suspension of Mayendit, Koch commissioners

The outgoing Chargé de’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Juba has reiterated his appeal to the country’s authorities to suspend the Commissioners of Koch and Mayendit over instigating violence in southern Unity State.

Last month, the ceasefire monitoring body, CTSAM-VM alleged that the commissioners of Mayendit and Koch in Unity, are to blame for the deadly violence that rocked Leer County as well as parts of Koch County.

During his farewell remarks at press conference in Juba Thursday, Ambassador David Renz said he questions why the two commissioners are not made to answer for their role in the ethnic violence in southern Unity State.

“I have spoken out publicly asking why the Commissioners in Koch and Mayendit counties are not been held accountable for what is absolutely clear is their role in violence there. They should be suspended from their office pending South Sudan investigation into the conduct. They shouldn’t be allowed to continue to fuel this conflict,”  Mr. Renz remarked.

According to a report by the UN Mission in South Sudan, 72 civilians were killed and 64 women and girls were raped between February and April in Leer County of Unity State.

The two commissioners of Mayendit and Koch have been implicated in different reports for allegedly instigating the deadly violence that left many people killed and hundreds of others displaced in Leer.

However, Mayendit Commissioner Gatluak Nyang Hoth had earlier denied having mobilized armed youth to attack villages in the neighboring Leer County.

Commissioner Gatluak also termed as baseless the accusations against him by the ceasefire monitoring body CTSAM-VM.

Meanwhile, the US diplomat urges the unity government to graduate the unified forces to help hold accountable those fueling the inter-communal violence in the country.

“What I have been pressing for, and what I still believe is possible, is some of the steps that are finally happening and will begin to accelerate the graduation of the unified command,

“So that they are properly deployed to bring sub-national violence under control in this country. The country will begin to hold accountable people responsible for that violence,” Mr. Renz said.

Ambassador Renz also reaffirmed the US commitment to support the implementation of the peace agreement, and the creation of conditions necessary for holding free, fair and democratic elections.

David Renz began his assignment as Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in South Sudan in August last year.

He previously served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia as well as Counselor for Political and Economic Affairs at the same Embassy.

Mr. Renz has over 25 years in the U.S. Foreign Service.

Eye Radio’s efforts to get a comment from Unity State authorities on the matter were not immediately successful.

 

 

 

 

 

Warrap, Abyei lifeline road reopens after months of banditry

The main road between Warrap State and the Abyei Administrative area has reopened after more than a month of closure due to insecurity.

The spokesperson of Abyei Administrative Area, Ajak Deng said several trucks arrived in Abyei town from Twic and Wau On Sunday.

The move comes after the SSPDF established a buffer zone between Twic of Warrap and the Abyei Administrative Area last week.

“As you know from the beginning of the conflict , I think it’s been a long time since people stopped using this road coming to Abyei [from Twic, and I think more than one month,” Deng said.

“… but now I heard yesterday[Sunday] some people drove to Abyei. This is because there are forces deployed along the road…”

In February this year, communal violence erupted between some clans from Warrap and Abyei, forcing the highway to close down.

The conflict was later resolved by an investigation committee formed by the presidency.

But despite the resolve, violence continued to be witnessed along the major road linking the two neighboring communities with travelers waylaid, targeted and often kidnapped by gunmen.

The scenario prompted President Salva Kiir to constitute a committee to investigate the insecurity.

Last week, the committee led by Vice President for Service Cluster Hussein Abdelbagi Akol handed its report on the conflict to President Salva Kiir.

The findings of the investigation committee on the inter-communal clashes in Aneet revealed that two prominent personalities among others have fueled the Twic-Ngok conflict.

In a 94-page report seen by Eye Radio, the committee found that publications written by Bona Malwal and Abyei intellectuals including Dr Francis Mading Deng fueled the conflict.

Dr Francis Mading Deng is a former South Sudan ambassador to the United Nations, and a native of the Abyei Administrative Area.

Bona Malwal Madut is a veteran South Sudanese politician from Twic Mayardit County of Warrap state.

The two prominent leaders are yet to comment on the report.

R-TNLA passes ‘controversial’ political parties bill

The national transitional parliament has passed a bill that some opponents think is meant to pin down minority parties ahead of the planned elections.

The act covers seven provisions which include establishment political parties, their registration as well as financial allocation to them for their development and growth, among others.

The Speaker of the N-TNLA read out content of the act before endorsement. “We passed it in totality, thank you very much,[honorable members of parliament.”

The bill was passed despite reservations by some opposition party members on the modalities to provide financing to the political parties and the conditions for a party to be legally registered.

The act stipulates that for a political party to be registered, it must have at least five hundred members from each of the ten states.

“So, if the purpose of this bill is to ensure that political parties are to be regulated, then the question of putting numbers in order to ban political parties or small parities from registering, it should be out, ” said Peter Lomude Francis who hails from the South Sudan Opposition Alliance ticket.

And that a party will be allocated a budget based on the outcome of a general election.

“”Now, there is a contradiction here that I would like to say, if you look at regulation 36 on how this money is to be distributed,the purpose of the fund is to ensure that political parties are able to compete equally.”

But Lomude said “this is contradicting regulation 37th which says that the purpose of the fund is also to support parties in the process of elections. So, giving support to parties should not be tied with the outcome of the election.”

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