UN Peacekeepers guard as IDPs walk freely at POC 3 site in Juba | File photo

The Minister of Land, Housing and Urban Development is asking the UN Mission to hand over to the government two people suspected of inflaming violence that led to the injury of 175 IDPs over the weekend.

Michael Changjiek said the two whose names he did not mention have been accused of instigating the communities to fight in the UN Protection of Civilians site in Juba.

Three-day [Friday – Sunday] fighting amongst IDPs left two people in a critical condition, but with no deaths.

According to a church leader who lives in the PoC, the fighting erupted after a memory card belonging to a lady went missing at a mobile-phone charging place.

The IDPs reportedly divided themselves into two groups of Western and Eastern Upper Nile.

The fighting then turned communal with those from greater Akobo, Nasir, Fangak, and greater Bentiu attacking each other.

On Sunday, some senior government officials managed to reconcile the two groups in a meeting conducted at the checkpoint near the UN House.

The leaders who initiated the meeting include James Hoth – the Minister of Labor, General John Kong – the former governor of the defunct Fangak state, Michael Chiangjiek – the Minister of Land, Housing and Urban Development, and General Majiok Gatluak – former governor of defunct Bieh state.

Speaking to the IDPs at the checkpoint on Sunday, the Minister of Land, Housing and Urban Development, Michael ChiangJiek urged the camp leaders to work with the UN and surrender the perpetrators of the violence to the government.

“The 2 people who started the fighting over the memory card must be arrested, handed over to the camp chairman, the camp chairman will hand them over to the UNMISS, and UN Police will give them to us [government]. These 2 individuals, we need them,” ChiangJiek ordered.

The Minister of Labor, James Hoth urged those displaced from the UN camp as a result of the weekend clashes to return to the camp.

For his part, the former governor of defunct Fangak state, John Kong told the UN Police and the leaders of the IDPs to quickly identify the suspects and hand them over to the authorities, including others who engage in criminal activities within the protection sites.

Speaking at the same meeting, the former governor of defunct Bieh State, General Majiok Gatluak urged the IDPs to leave the camp and return to their houses in Juba.

He said the return of Dr. Riek Machar to his previous home, near President Salva Kiir’s residence, should encourage the IDPs in Juba to return to their homes.