Gov. Lobong relocates office to Nimule over violence, CEPO lauds decision

JUBA – The governor of South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria state Louis Lobong Lojore has temporarily relocated his office from the state capital Torit to Nimule in a bid to contain deadly violence that broke out there following the killing of a local chief.

Protests and confrontation broke out on Monday morning after armed men stormed a Ma’di Community meeting to fundraise for members of their community killed allegedly by cattle keepers from neighboring Jonglei state.

Eye Radio is quoting Aliardo Lotok, a media aide to the governor, as saying that the governor will operate from Nimule until calm return to the area which has seen many residents fleeing to Uganda over the violence.

“When the Governor of the State got this news, he immediately came to Nimule to run the affairs of the State actually from Nimule until the situation stabilizes,” the governor’s aide said.

‘CLEAR DEMONSTRATION OF RESPONSIBILITY’

Speaking to Sudans Post this evening, the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) welcomed the decision describing as a remarkable act that is a show of responsibility at the side of the government towards ending the violence.

“CEPO congratulates the governor of Eastern Equatoria state Louis Lobong for the decision the temporal relocation of the state governor’s office to Nimule from Torit. This is remarkable act and clear demonstration of primary responsibility for preventing deadly violence among the communities,” Yakani said.

While urging the governor to restructure the local government administration in Nimule, Yakani said the government should implement a disarmament plan that is not discriminative, but should apply to those living in the area without preferential treatments.

“This is a positive response to our call and we wish that Nimule local government administration will be restructured to embrace enforcement of rule of law and respect of human rights including proper system of public governance where no multiple centers of decision making in single town,” he added.

“It is good that now state governor is operating from Nimule town. This move should be accomplished with serious non-discriminative disarmament of the civil population. Nimule is a town where each ethnic grouping is armed to the tooth. This made application of rule of law and respect of human rights become harder,” he added.

The activist further called upon the civil population living in Nimule town “to embrace rule of law, respect of human rights and adherence to local administration under the local government act, 2009.”