Yakani ‘disturbed’ by Mayom extrajudicial killings

JUBA – Prominent South Sudan Activist Edmund Yakani has said that he is disturbed by the growing number of extrajudicial killings in the country’s oil-rich Unity State, a day after three opposition commanders allied to Gen. Stephen Buay Rolnyang were summarily executed.

Last July, a group of opposition soldiers allied to Gen. Buay attacked Mayom town, killing the County Commissioner Maj. Gen. Chuol Gatluak Manimeh along with twelve other service-members of South Sudan People‘s Defense Forces (SSPDF).

The same opposition forces attacked an SSPDF convoy dispatched from Juba to transport ammunitions to a military base at Mankien Payam of Mayom County.

The Unity State governor then declared war against the opposition group and over the weekend, three opposition commanders were arrested in Sudan and handed over to South Sudan’s army at Panakuach in Unity State and were taken to Kaikang, an area north of Mayom, where they were executed.

Reacting to the incident, Yakani who is the Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) said he is disturbed by the growing number of killing in Unity State.

“CEPO is so disturbed by this trend of horrific incidences happening in Mayom County ranging from the killing of the county commissioner and the recent extrajudicial killing of officer of the South Sudan People’s Movement and Army in Mayom,” Yakani said.

The outspoken activist said his organization “strongly condemns these trends of horrific acts. These acts should be stop immediately by the conflicting parties in Mayom county.”

“These acts constitute actual inhuman and degrading act as human rights is concerned. This trend is planting seeds of genocide among our communities.  Finally CEPO is urging the conflicting parties in Mayom county to reach ceasefire immediately.”