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Map of Nagero County, Western Equatoria State. Credit: Charles Wote/Eye Radio
Nagero County Commissioner in Western Equatoria State is calling for the withdrawal of armed forces from Bou bridge of Zomwe Payam that has become a flashpoint between units of the army and SPLA-IO troops, adding that the presence of soldiers there posses a security threat to civilians.
Henry Bangada Asaya said his county has been experiencing armed violence and mass displacement since 6th January, following the presence of armed forces in the area seen as SPLA-IO cantonment site.
Bangada recalled that for the past five years, the local populations were at peace until the recent military confrontation triggered by an alleged crackdown on illegal checkpoints.
The commissioner said a series of violence involving the two forces has forced hundreds of civilians to flee their homes in fear of their lives.
He calls on the national government to urgently form a committee to visit the area, investigate and initiate demilitarization of the area.
“Since the fight started, citizens have been displaced. As I am talking to you, all the people of Nagero are living in the bush. The presence of the forces in Bou will not bring stability to Nagero. It is exactly a violation of the peace agreement,” he stated.
“Now as the division commander came here, he told me he’s going for peace, but I told him his going there is not part of the solution. The solution is to withdraw the SSPDF forces from Bou so that the SPLA-IO can also withdraw.”
He said up to 79,000 people including those who fled the crisis in Tambura County have now been displaced again and are languishing in the bushes without basic necessities.
He narrated that the displaced civilians are in dire need of water, shelter and food also some of them take the risk of visiting their farms at night to acquire something to eat.
“All the civilians are living in the bush, delivering in the bush and don’t have food, water, medicine. We received 23,000 displaced persons from Tambura, and in Namutina Payam, we received 11,000. That makes the total number of 34,000 displaced persons,” he narrated.
“But since fighting started, the whole community of Nagero, including the IDPs of Tambura, they are displaced and there are now over 79,000 displaced persons in Nagero.”
On January 11, army spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai said SPLA-IO troops attacked an SSPDF Infantry brigade tasked to dismantle illegal checkpoints between Western Equatoria and Western Bahr El Gazal states.
Meanwhile, SPLA-IO spokesperson Col. Lam Paul Gabriel denied his colleague’s narrative, arguing instead that the violence occurred as a result of an attack by the army on their position outside Kubri-Bou.
The UN Mission in South Sudan expressed concerns over the military confrontation between units of the national army and SPLA-IO in Western Equatoria and called for national government intervention.
Also on January 12, a human rights activist appealed to the Presidency to urgently initiate the unification and deployment of armed forces of the peace parties and ensure strict cantonment to prevent further violence.
Bol Deng Bol, Executive Director of INTREPID South Sudan, said unifying the forces is the only solution to the intermittent violence involving factions of the peace parties across the country.
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