Ikwotto town, Eastern Equatoria State - Courtesy.

A lawmaker at the Eastern Equatoria Legislative Assembly has criticized the state government, for allegedly keeping silence over the insecurity in Ikwoto County.

Alphonse Muras Chacha who represents the area in state parliament said there have been a series of insecurity incidents, following the killing of three teachers over the weekend.

Also on Tuesday, three aid workers were killed in an ambush by unknown assailants along the state’s Ikwoto-Tseretenya road.

The deceased were returning from fieldwork when their vehicles came under gunfire.

Several women on board were detained by the attackers, before they were freed hours later.

Muras Chacha said the security situation in the area has continued to deteriorate and the government is silent about it.

“The government they kept on saying, let the people of Ikwoto solve their problem, that is the word from the leaders. Now how can the warring people solve their problem.”

“How can people solve their problems when they are fighting each other? It suffocates my understanding by saying let them solve their problem.”

In response, the State Minister of Local Government and Law Enforcement, Peter Lokeng Lotone refuted the allegation saying, the security situation in Ikwoto is calm, adding that his government has set plans to visit the area to restore security there.

“No that one is not true. The government is for the people. How can the government say that word? That allegation is wrong. The government is ready to go to the ground and solve the problem. This is the work of the government now,” Lokeng denied.

The state official said the government will travel on the ground to ascertain the situation as soon as possible.

“Yesterday and today we called them, the situation is calm and our forces who are also there are patrolling the whole area and the area is now calm.”

Lotone he did not specify when the visit to Ikwoto County will set off.