Displaced civilians await relief food distribution in Pibor | File photo

The plight of Murle community is not being heard because they are underrepresented in the national government, an MP representing Pibor County in National Assembly has said.

“The voices of majority communities are over ruling many minority communities who are underrepresented,” Hon. Banguot Amum Okech told Eye Radio.

“First thing I want to say is that there is lack of presence of Murle sons in the government. For example in the cabinet, we don’t have a minister but a deputy minister.”

“Sometimes he doesn’t attend the meeting of council of ministers if the meeting is for the minister only,” Mrs. Okech added.

“There are things they discuss at the executive level in the Council of Ministers. Nobody can tell the truth in the area that this issue is number one.

“So, I’m seeing that lack of representative is the problem. The issue is that, those in the government are defending their people in this country.”

On the situation in Jonglei, Mr. Banguot said the entire Murle community should not be punished if one individual commits a crime.

“Now Murle are blamed that they are the ones committing crimes, but can the entire Murle suffer because of a single Murle who committed the crime?”

Mrs. Banguot said humanitarian aid is beginning to reach people in Jonglei but that much more needs to be done to ensure their security.

Brutal inter-communal violence, an ongoing rebellion and reports of human rights violations by the national army have left about 100,000 people in desperate need in the state, according to the United Nations.