Yakani condemns Kajo-keji killing, urges gov’t to held culprits accountable

JUBA, FEBRUARY 3^rd 2023 (SUDANS POST) – South Sudan civil society activist Edmund Yakani has condemned the deadly attack in which suspected cattle keepers from Jonglei State killed at least 21 innocent civilians in Kajo-keji County of Central Equatoria state.

The attack, according to the commissioner, took place at dawn on Thursday after elements belonging to the National Salvation Front (NAS) attacked and killed six people from the cattle keepers who then retaliated by killing innocent villagers.

In a statement signed by its executive director Yakani, the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) condemned the attack stressing that the attack took place a day before Pope Francis arrives in the country.

“CEPO strongly condemned the deadly killing of 21 persons by Bor cattle herders in a revenge to the killing of 5 cattle herders by unknown armed men in uniform. It is sad that this incident took place in the Eva of Pope Francis visit to South Sudan and secondly in the face of CEPO attempt to deescalate the first incident,” CEPO said.

Yakani described the attack as “inhumane and deadly” and called on the government to bring the perpetrators to account in an attempt to prevent civilians from taking laws into their own hands.

“The perpetrators need to be held accountable and the government intervention is urgently required. Civilian armed deadly violence is taking place in the face of the political leadership with less intervention,” he said.

“The attitudes of the political leaders towards selective approach of resolving deadly communal violence is mobilizing to take the law into their hands. The cattle herders should peacefully move their home land to prevent occurrence of such deadly violence,” he added.

The activist stressed that “Civilian-to-civilians armed deadly violence at the Subnational level is absolutely undermining the constitutional role of the national government and increasing citizens mistrust and lack of confidence in the national government.”