Civilians displaced by the fighting at Malakal POC site. | Photo: Courtesy

Representatives of the Communities at the Malakal UN Protection of Site have suggested the camp be handed over to the Upper Nile State government to provide security to the displaced, according to the State Minister of Information, Luk Saadallah.

He told Eye Radio that the representatives met meet with the Vice president at the state general secretariat on Saturday and presented their complaints over the situation at the PoC.

“They complained that the PoC where the civilians have been protected should be handed over to the government, and humanitarian assistance to be carried out by the aid actors,” the state official said.

The local leaders attributed the violence to delinquencies among the youth

“The young people who grew up at the PoC are not listening to them (chiefs), so Chief Adam who represented the Shuluk community said it clearly that the youth will not listen to them,” and they suggested that ” the PoC must be handover to the government.”

However, Eye Radio could not independently obtain the outcome of the meeting.

Their call came after the state government called on UNMISS to hand over jurisdiction of the camp to the state police on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Vice President Dr. James Wani Igga who visit the camp last week announced his government’s plans to carry out disarmament of the civil population in Malakal town of Upper Nile State and other parts of the country

The Chairperson for the Economic Cluster said disarming the five communities in the state capital will to promote a peaceful co-existence in the area.

“I am sure that it is the solution for peaceful coexistence and to the conflict in the state,” he said.

However, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan cautioned the internally displaced persons at the Malakal Protection of Civilians Site against smuggling firearms into the camp after the deadly violence on Thursday.

UNMISS said it did not encourage the communities to separate.

This followed the deadly inter-communal fighting, that killed at least 20 people recently.