By Gift Friday
A major humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Western Equatoria following clashes over pasture that left 8 people dead and more than 15,000 people displaced. The displaced, among them women, children and the elderly have gone for days without food, blankets and shelter after their houses were destroyed during the clashes in Yirol West in Lake State and Western Equatoria.
Government officials said the incidences occurred after pastoralists from Yirol clashed with farmers from Mvolo County over grazing fields. The commissioner of Mvolo County, Paul Tier said, the fight broke out late on 8th March when the pastoralists from Yirol West raided Bar Girindi Payam, where one policeman from Mopourdit Payam of Yirol West started shooting at local residents.
Peter Bede, a youth from Mvolo expressed concern over the state of security in the region and asked the Government to intervene. “It does not mean that we do not want the pastoralists, but they need to know where and when to graze their cattle”, he added.
Stephen Dominic a resident of Yambio said conflict management and peace conferences should be conducted for the two communities in order to avoid continued bloodshed. He added: “We are living in fear because of insecurity. It is sad the communities are fighting over an issue that can be resolved.”
The director of the South Sudan Relief and Re-integration Commission Western Equatoria State (SSRRC), Lexson Amuzai Worri, said available food aid for the displaced was quickly running out. “It will be a catastrophe if nothing is done to restock the food supplies to the displaced. They are suffering,” he said.
South Sudan is due to become independent in July after a referendum earlier this year, as part of a 2005 peace deal with Khartoum. Despite the peace agreement, violence, often related to cattle raiding, is still common in South Sudan where many communities are still armed with weapons left over from the civil war.
Villagers interviewed said they were sleeping in the cold and had not had meals for days. Many of their fellow villagers, they told reporters, had been injured during the attacks.
The commissioner of Mvolo County, Paul Tier, added that on the 9th and 10th March, Korikori Payam had been attacked and several houses, primary health care facilities, the Payam administrator’s office, an education office and schools were burnt down. “The Dinka Atuot of Yirol West did the same destruction in Bar Girirndi Payam, looting kiosks and drugs from the health centres and burning the Payam into ashes” said Tier.
He said security forces sent from Yirol West to restore order also suffered casualties after one of them was injured in a shoot out with the locals. “The officer was shooting at the locals from a tree when he was caught in a crossfire,” sources said.
Meanwhile Makur Kulang Liei, county commissioner of Yirol West County, said the fight was unexpected as it came at a time when plans were being made to hold a peace meeting between the two communities.
On Wednesday 16th March 2011, the State Minister of Local government and Law enforcement Western Equatoria State, Wilson Sidgi, together with the County commissioner of Mvolo toured the two counties to appeal for calm. The Minister confirmed that over 15,000 people have been displaced and feared that the number could rise as tension was still high in the area. He also confirmed that they were living under pathetic conditions and were in dire need of relief assistance. “We toured the two Payams of Bargirindi and Korikori where we recovered two P.Kem machine guns and other new rifles,” he said. The Minister disclosed that he had spoken with the commissioner of Yirol West, Makur, who had agreed to lobby the community to stop further attacks against Mvolo. He said the Inspector General of Police Achuil, had recommended that a team of investigators be sent to Mvolo to establish the real cause of the clashes.
The governor of Western Equatoria State, Bangasi Joseph Bakosoro, said the state government is working to reconcile communities through peace building conferences.
The Governor of Lake State, Chol Tong, and his Western Equatoria State counterpart, Bakosoro, also resolved to form an investigation committee to scrutinize the incidents that took place in Mvolo. According to the resolution of the meeting held in Mvolo County between the two states, the committee will comprise neutral members who do not support either side. The committee will be made up of the Chairman, from WES Legal administration unit, Secretary from Lakes, Police, a member of Military intelligence from WES, a member of National security from Lakes state, and Public security from WES.
Meanwhile the Governor of WES, Bangasi Joseph Bakosoro, called upon the Mvolo local authority to protect all the communities. “We don’t want segregation. We should not ask some people to leave because they are our people. We should all live together as the people of Southern Sudan,” he said.
The clash between the two neighboring communities of Mvolo in Western Equatoria state and Yirol West in Lakes state is not new. Similar fights erupted in Mvolo County on the 9th February 2011, which left 14 people dead, and many more displaced. Over 300 people have lost their lives in such clashes in Mvolo County since 2005 with many more displaced from their hometowns.