Police graduation in Yambio. Sept. 20, 2024. (-)

Some residents of Yambio in Western Equatoria have called on the police authorities to enforce the rule of law as the state graduated over 700 personnel after undergone a four-month refresher training.

The 746 Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs), including 155 females, were oriented on the role of the police in maintaining law and order as part of a nationwide training directed by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Atem Marol.

The exercise is aimed to empower and equip the police with the necessary skills required to respond to the needs of the citizens.

However, some of the Yambio residents attended the graduation ceremony in Yambio town on last week, said they expect the authorities to deploy the police to residential areas instead of the army.

“We want good security, and let the work of the police be the work of the police because they have acquired new skills meaning they are going to do the real work of the police,” said Elia Eliaba, a resident of Pazuo in Yambio.

“Let police not take something from the civilians and let the police not arrest the civilians without warrant of arrest.”

Ngbamborigbe Joseph Zakaria, resident of Akorogbodi 1 said he wants the police to enforce the law and protect civilians. 

“We are happy for our police who have been graduated today because we believe that those places where they have soldiers, it is supposed to be police. We shall be happy if they are deployed to the residential areas,” said Tereza Zakaria Ginana from Bakindo.

In August, the state capital was rocked by a series of violent incidents characterized by shootings which led to the killing of SSPDF soldiers and the wounding of four others and was condemned by an alliance of civil society organizations.

The Network for Civil Society Organizations (NeCSOs) called on the 6th Infantry Division of the SSPDF to promote good relationship with the civil population and ensure that any counter operation against the incidents is conducted in a way that protects civilians and their properties.

Meanwhile, the Governor of Western Equatoria, Alfred Futuyo Karaba, revealed that some of the crimes happening in residential areas in Yambio are committed by the police.

According to him, this is partly why the authorities deployed the army to protect civilians.

“These police personnel are about 800 and soldiers have been deployed to the residential areas and zones are established to protect the civilian population and police are there. “All these posts around Yambio are full of soldiers it is because for me I tell the truth,” he said.

“If a civilian is robbed, and if the property of a civilian is stolen within a residential area, or wounded in the area, if the suspect is being searched, if two people are arrested, one is going to be a police, this is the truth and this is what brought the army.”

For his part, the Western Equatoria State Police Commissioner Maj. Gen. Phillip Madut directed the police personnel to remain neutral while exercising their mandate.

“Remember this is a service of profession. It is your responsibilities to protect and serve,” he told the force.

“Never take any action based on emotion, tribe, region or race we are national police and must remain neutral forever during our work with the community. Never allow victim to be victimized for second time due to poor police practice.”