Some of the civilians displaced by violence seeking safety in Tambura town in July 2021 | Credit | Courtesy

Activist Edmund Yakani has called for restraint, and a pathway for dialogue after bandits carried out series of attacks in Tambura County of Western Equatoria state leaving one dead, and several houses burned down.

According to the county commissioner, the first incident occurred at 8:30 PM on Thursday in Lingemo Boma where armed bandits attacked the residence of a sub chief and set his house on fire.

Mathew Mabenge said the second attack occurred at 2 AM on Friday in Tambura town, where seven houses were burned down and one person was injured.

He stated that the assailants tried to kidnapped the sub-chief in Lingemo Boma at the border with Central African Republic, adding that the chief escaped.

The incidents, according to Edmund Yakani, has resulted in a wave of displacement in the two areas.

He called on the locals to abstain from using violence in resolving their disputes.

Yaksni also urged the Western Equatoria political elites not to take advantage of violence to escalate the situation, citing the 2021 violence.

“We have witnessed some few days of emerging of waves of new displacement of civilians in Tambura County due to misunderstanding between individuals or groups.

“I would like to urge our brothers and sisters in Tambura whatever the situation or dispute they have, never to resolve it in a violent manner or  use it for waging a deadly violence among our communities

‘Let’s abstain from using violence as an instrument in resolving our misunderstanding or our tensions.

In 2021, UNMISS Human Right Department’s investigation said documented violations in the county of Tambura where increased violence and attacks saw over 440 people killed, 18 injured, 74 civilians abducted, 64 subjected to sexual violence, including seven men and four girls were raped.

Mr. Yakani called on the political leadership of the country to watch the situation in Tambura closely, and offer solution to the dispute to avoid the repeat of 2021, given the December slated general electons.

“I appeal the leaders in the country to be be vigilant in preventing  communities from falling into any deadly armed violence into the face of looming elections,” he added.