Community Leaders In Eastern Equatoria State Have Petitioned National Government Over Nimule Crisis

At least some 18 community leaders in Eastern Equatoria State have urged the national government to provide security following recent killing of a local chief and several civilians by suspected cattle raiders.

 “We are demanding the intervention of the national government to provide security to protect the people of Magwi County and facilitate the immediate return of the Dinka Bor cattle keepers back to their land of origin,” a joint statement issued by the leaders revealed Wednesday. 

On 11^th July 2022, a gunman stormed a funeral in Nimule and shot instantly chief John Ebele of Anzara Boma.

Ebele instantly died and six other people including the police chief of Nimule were left nursing bullet wounds.

The deceased chief and other people were attending funeral of two young men believed to have been killed by suspected armed cattle keepers.

It disclosed that the deadline of May, has already elapsed without the cattle keepers vacating Magwi County where hundreds of civilians have already been displaced due to violence meted on them by the armed cattle keepers. 

“The indigenous communities of the state express their deepest grief to all the South Sudanese and global peace-loving people, and explain that on the 10^th July 2022, cattle keepers from Dinka Bor abducted 3 men from Mugali and killed two of them in cold blood and took one whose whereabouts are still unknown,” it noted.

It further revealed that there has been unfriendly relationship between the Dinka Bor and the indigenous communities of Eastern Equatoria State since 2005 when the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed.

The signing of the CPA paved way for the independence of Sudan from neighboring Sudan in 2011.

Koma Sylvester, who read the petition on behalf of the 18 communities, said the killings have caused tension between the Dinka Bor and the communities of Eastern Equatoria State.

“The situation escalated into violence from 1^st January 2021 in Lowoi, Torit West and therefore the entire Magwi County when the phenomena became unbearable to the host community,” Sylvester said.