14 youth were arrested by police authorities in Jonglei State on Tuesday after the Bor Youth Association had called for evacuation of people of Equatoria who are working with UN agencies and international NGOs in response to alleged killings targeting members of Dinka ethnic group living in Equatoria region.

On 28 June, copies of a letter calling for evacuation from Jonglei Equatorians were reportedly distributed in Bor town signed by leaders of the Dinka Bor Youth Association.

The alleged group warned that they did not want any Equatorian working in their area within 72 hours or face the consequences in revenge for the alleged death of members of the Dinka community who were killed on Juba-Yei, Juba- Bor and Juba-Nimule roads.

However, the government of South Sudan’s Jonglei state disowned the letter carrying the threat from the Bor youth body, saying letter was provocative that threatened the stability and peaceful co-existence within the state and with the neighbouring Equatorian citizens.

Jonglei’s minister of information Jacob Akec told Radio Tamazuj in an interview this morning that about 14 youth were arrested by security organs after the Bor youth association had written a petition against Equatorians working in Jonglei state.

“According to the Transitional Constitution of South Sudan it is a big mistake. Any South Sudanese citizens regardless of where he comes from, has the freedom to work anywhere he wants in this country, so we condemn it and it will not happen in this land, the ringleaders have been rounded up and the security will investigate the incident,” said Akec.

“So the situation has been control and the Equatorians should go to their work normally. The Equatorians are employees here, all the security organs are in place, the petition was even rejected by the community leaders here in Jonglei,” he said.

The governor of Jonglei state Philip Aguer also condemned the petition.