CEPO denounces Magwi violence, urges Lobong to investigate killing

JUBA – South Sudan advocacy group, Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), has denounced the ongoing violence in Eastern Equatoria state’s Magwi County where an attack on a Bor community cattle camp resulted in the killing of at least 22 people mostly women and children.

In a statement signed by the CEPO’s executive director Edmund Yakani, the advocacy group urged the government of Eastern Equatoria state to form an investigation team to identify the identity of those behind the deadly attack.

“The negative development in Mugali and Melijo areas of Eastern Equatoria county of Magwi is disturbing and incidences constitute human rights abuses. Several calls were made by various leaders for prevention of this deadly incidence but less attention was given to the calls made,” the CEPO statement reads in part.

“The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization is taking this opportunity to urge the leadership of Jonglei and Eastern Equatoria states to establish a committee to investigate the identity of the perpetrators,” the statement added.

It stressed that “There is contradictory leveling of the identity of the perpetrators, the in the statement of Eastern Equatoria State the perpetrators were identified as Murle raiders while in the statement of the Bor community leader the perpetrators were identified as mobilized youth of Eastern Equatoria. It is essential that the identity of the perpetrators is clearly identified.”

Yakani further urged “both state and national government to urgently deploy security forces to the areas of the violence to prevent deadly revenge attacks. It is possible for a revenge attack take place. The fear is that any revenge attack may be more deadly than the registered incident of the cattle raiding. Sustainable solution is required on this frictions between farmers of Magwi county and pastoralists of Dinka Bor.”

“It is a time for the government to seek assistance from UNMISS on protection of civilians through increase of UNMISS patrols of establishment of Temporary Operation Base in Mugali. The assistance of UNMISS on protection of the civilians can help in reducing chance of revenge attacks on the civilians population. Safety and protection of our communities should be a priority of the government,” he stressed.

The group urged “the three states namely Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei and Central Equatoria to establish a joint strategy for peaceful resolution of the disputes between farmers and pastoralists over the use of the land for cattle grazing and crops farming.

“Finally, CEPO will be engaging in creating space for mitigating the resolution of the disputes between farmers and pastoralists.”