The local administration in Lakes State’s Awerial County on Sunday opened a new 200 square meter public cemetery in the Roordit area following the allocation of the land of the old cemetery in Mingkaman to expand Kon Anok Secondary School.
Commissioner Philip Mawut Garang told Radio Tamazuj Monday that the new cemetery is approximately 8 kilometers away from Mingkaman Town. He urged the public to use the new cemetery because the old one in town has been turned into school premises.
“The old cemetery is located where Kon Anok Secondary School is and is not functioning any longer. If you dare to bury any dead body there, the government will question you,” he said. “So, every dead body must be brought and buried in this new area. The old one was allocated to Kon Anok Secondary School in February, leaving the locals without a public burial site, forcing them to bury their loved ones at their plots in the county.”
Mingkaman Town Mayor Deng Cuei said plans have been in place to move the cemetery to the Roordit area since 2014.
“We are now on the ground to launch the new cemetery for the people of Awerial County and that is why we are all here together the commissioner and the director of lands and survey,” he said.
For his part, the Director of Lands and Survey, Daniel Parach Abuoi, revealed that the new cemetery is divided into three sections.
“50 square meters will be given to the Muslim community while the host community and the internally displaced persons will share 150 square meters of land in the new cemetery in Mingkaman to bury their dead people,” he stated.
He reiterated that the old cemetery land has been named Akon Anok Secondary School in Awerial County.