Tonj community urges Kiir to deliver promised state of emergency in Warrap

JUBA  – Tonj community of South Sudan’s Warrap state is appealing to President Salva Kiir Mayardit to deliver on the state of emergency that his press secretary, Ateny Wek Ateny, promised earlier this week during the opening session of the Tonj peace conference at Freedom Hall in the country’s capital Juba to help state authorities enforce end to communal violence there.

On February 1, Ateny told the conference that President Salva Kiir Mayardit was going to declare a state of emergency in the area to help curb intercommunal violence that has left several people dead during the course of 2020. A fierce fighting in Autumn 2020 between the army and armed civilians in Tonj left many people dead majority of whom are members of the organized forces who were enforcing disarmament there.

“In order for Aleu Ayieny [newly-appointed governor of Warrap state] to succeed, a state of emergency will be declared. It is the state of emergency that will show people that the work has started,” Ateny said on February 1.

In a communiqué extended to the Juba-based dawn newspaper on Thursday, the Tonj community appealed to Kiir to impose a state of emergency in Tonj and some parts of Warrap state saying it would help in the restoration of peace and rule of law in the restive area.

“We the members of Tonj Community resolve as follows: declare the state of emergency within Tonj and her neighboring communities to allow local, state, and national authorities to restore peace and stability,” said the communiqué.

It recommended need to establish peace committee to be dispatch to Tonj to diffuse tensions and provide a platform for dialogue and called for immediate enactment and enforcement of laws in the state parliament and county councils to prevent proliferation of small arms in the hands of civil population.

“Engage communities at all levels in order to accept peaceful co-existence amongst themselves and ensure that there should be no delay in justice. The National Parliament should enact disarmament law, followed by state and national government’s immediate conduct of comprehensive and simultaneous disarmament of the civilians,” added the communiqué.