Government officials Pay Solidarity Visit to Tombura County for Reconciliation, Peace and Unity

The two communities for a long time have been at loggerheads over trade disagreements, a situation that has resulted in conflicts that have resulted in the loss of lives. Is reported that suspected criminals from both communities have been targeting unsuspecting members of the public and killing them. However, none of the suspected criminals have so far been caught and brought to book, a situation which has left the two communities living in suspicion over each other.

Juma Baziangungu a community leader from Zande Community said that his community and the Balandas have been coexisting peacefully for decades without any segregation, or tribalism and as such have been sharing cultural similarities and have deeply intermarried and had children from both sides.

Baziangungu said the conflict between the two communities started when some of their Balanda neighbors started changing the names of hills, streams, and big rocks which were initially in Pazande language into Balanda language; this is what created conflict between the Zande and Balanda Communities.

Chief Kolowo who represented the Balanda Community during the meeting at Tombura freedom Square expressed sorrow that some Zande community members brutally murdered some Balanda Community members yet the suspects are yet to be apprehended and made to pay for their bad deeds.

Hon. Bangasi Joseph Bakosoro, the Minister for Public Service and Human Resources, who hails from Tombura County said that he chose to come to Tombura as a son of the area to pay solidarity with the communities there and to tell them to love each other and put aside hatred, tribalism, and nepotism. He expressed that he could not sit in Juba and keep hearing about the wrangles between the two communities from the region where he hails from.

Hon. Bangasi Bakosoro warned the people from Tombura County to desist from creating a volatile environment in their own community because innocent people will fall victims and the effects will sabotage holistic development. Bakosoro urged the State Government of Western Equatoria State to ensure that necessitate reconciliation among the people of Tombura County and make them restore their previous peaceful coexistence.

Hon. Alfred Futuyo Karaba, the Governor of Western Equatoria State confirmed that there are suspected criminals who were bribed by some politicians in Juba to kill people in Tombura. He said that the names of those suspected criminals are with Criminal Investigation Department and the National Security. He added that one of them has already been apprehended and will be transferred to Yambio for further investigations.

The Governor authorized the Commissioner of Tombura County to deal accordingly with any criminals who are caught engaging in acts that are deemed to create insecurity in the County. He added that the commissioner is authorized to vigorously search for some criminals who are creating insecurity in Tombura County in the name of SPLA/IO, in the areas of Nambia and Nabiama, and find out if they are SPLA/IO. He further explained that the SPLA/IO Members must only be seen at Namutina Cantonment's side because that is the only place recognized by the revitalized Peace Agreement on the Resolutions on the Conflict in South Sudan. Any soldier who is doing something bad beyond the Namutina Cantonment area is not SPLA/IO and the County commissioner is mandated to deal with such people.

Governor Futuyo confirmed that within the period of one month his office has received the report of 10 citizens being shot dead by suspected criminals in Tombura County, an act he termed as uncalled for.

The Reconciliation, Peace, and unity meeting was held in Tombura County on April 6, 2021, and was attended by Government officials who included State advisors, State Ministers, members of Parliament, and one National Minister.

By. Elias Ginana Mangbondo