Fear lingers in South Sudan despite independence
A recent report by the Sudd Institute, an independent research organisation funded by the U.S. Institute of Peace, said the current situation recalls some of the most violent periods of the North-South civil war that ended in 2005.
The Executive Director of Sudd Institute Jok Madut Jok said South Sudanese people are exposed to recurrent violence, ranging from localised ethnic conflicts to urban crime and violence against East African labourers and business owners.
Although the Sudanese government Antonov bombings of South Sudan have stopped, local violence has intensified since July 2011,” said Jok. Militia activities and rebellions from South Sudan’s Army still bearing its war-time, the guerrilla name, Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) are among the factors that have compounded insecurity and suffering in several strategic states. Through the eyes of many South Sudanese, the state has consistently appeared weak or complacent in the face of these complex and varied security challenges.”
A year and half after South Sudan became its own boss, many rural communities continue to suffer from local communal violence, including deadly militia attacks and cattle raiding.
Jok Madut Jok, Executive Director, The Sudd Institute.
We believe we enjoy freedom, but if our loved ones are being shot and someone is dying every day somewhere in this country at the hands of our own government and we are constantly living in fear that activists can be abducted and tortured, what does it mean to be a free country‚” Jok said.
The South Sudanese government blamed Khartoum for the insecurity, he said, adding that the real picture is becoming more apparent.
The Deputy Minister of General Education and Instruction Rebecca Joshua attributed blame to both sides of the border. Many South Sudanese communities adopted a culture of violence from North Sudan, she said.
She also accused the government of selling arms to civilians. Our government disarms and resells the collected guns to the civilians‚” she said, adding that she never saw evidence that the government burnt the guns they amassed during a post-independence amnesty. She added that many South Sudanese need counselling as they try to live with the after-effects of wartime trauma.
Secretary General of South Sudan Law Society Samuel Dong said extreme rural poverty caused the outbreak of cattle raiding, heightening national insecurity. Increasing bride prices also force youth to steal cattle, he said.
A lack of proper border demarcation between states and counties also boost insecurity, he said, adding that rural-urban migration has resulted in land grabbing.
The South Sudan Council of States has repeatedly summoned state Governors to explain the regional insecurity. The governors however, pass the blame to the national Ministry of Interior.
Download the report: Mapping the Sources of Conflict and Insecurity in South Sudan: Living in Fear under a Newly-Won FreedomMeanwhile the Minister of Interior Alison Manani Magaya accepted some responsibility but said the department was doing its best to improve security. We are working to restructure the police forces through training‚” Magaya told the Council of States.
Citizens, however, counter that policemen fail to stick to their code of conduct, and are involved in night robbing in Juba and other crime. On January 14, a policeman was arrested for shooting a civilian in Gudele west of Juba. Such cases of misconduct have forged an atmosphere of mistrust between the police and citizens. Gudele locals avoid the streets at night out of fear.
