The Kelangboor community of Tennet, Murle and Laarim have called the government of Eastern Equatoria state and Greater Pibor Administrative Area to investigate the recent cattle raid in Kapoeta North County.
Angelo Nyabanga,the chairperson for Kelangboor community association while addressing journalists on Friday at Mahad IDP camp says Kalengbor community does not encourage the culture of fighting, calling upon the authorities in Eastern Equatoria state and Greater Pibor Administrative Area to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators.
“The Kalengbor are peace-loving people and we do not have any problem with our neighboring communities including Kapoeta north,the raiders are criminals,” he said.
Violence recently broke out among the communities of Toposa, Murle, Tennet and Buaya culminating in to an eventual inversion of a camp in Kapoeta North of Eastern Equatoria state between June and July leading to the death of at least 230 civilians according to official report.
David Ngiro Yangkan, the chairperson for Murle Youth Association said that suspected attackers believed to be from Pibor maybe criminals, noting that the community has never planned an attack on any community.
“With regard to what happen in Kapoeta North, of course, they suspected our youth but we have not decided as a community to attack any one, these are just criminal act being committed by some youths,” said Yangkan.
He added that, this unfortunate occurrence is not only in Taposa community but a national crisis happening all over South Sudan and should not be treated as a community matter but be addressed as crime committed by an individual on a case by case basis.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan said there is an increase in the case of violence at local government level and has urged the national government to de-escalate this violence currently ravaging the country.
President Salva Kiir expressed fear in his Independence Day speech saying that inter-communal violence across the country risks reversing peace gains so far achieved in the implementation of the 2018 revitalized peace deal.
