The commissioner of police in South Sudan’s Jonglei State has dismissed 53 officers from police service for allegedly deserting their base.

The police officers were dismissed on May 15.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Saturday, Chol Atem, the police commissioner in Jonglei said he dismissed the 53 officers for abandoning their duties.

“This dismissal came because of desertion and disobedience in the areas of conflict in Bor South County. In December, we deployed some officers to provide protection in Abii but they refused to carry out their duties. So we resorted to their dismissal because the other administrative measures failed,” he said.

The police official added, “This dismissal is aimed at scaring other officers so that they carry out their duties and also provide vacancies for young people. Now, recruitment is ongoing.”

The police commissioner pointed out that he had formed a committee to handle cases of those who want to appeal against their dismissal.

“When some of us were in the areas of deployment in Bor South County and other government institutions, the police commissioner suspended our salaries since March. After that we came to Bor town complaining, but because we were serious the police commissioner threatened us and then dismissed us,” said one of the dismissed officers.

The dismissed officers appealed to police authorities in Juba to investigate the issue.