The Azande community in Juba on Tuesday raised concerns over a request by the Balanda community for an administrative area in Tambura County, located in South Sudan’s Western Equatoria State.
Addressing reporters after meeting the speaker of the Council of State, Azande elder and Transitional National Legislative Assembly Lawmaker Clement Juma said they received a letter dated Feb. 26, 2025, requesting an administrative area to be carved out of the Azande Kingdom.
He accused former state Gov. Alfred Futuyo Karaba of causing instability and conflict between the Azande and Balanda communities, which have coexisted for hundreds of years.
“We have lived with the Balanda for over 100 years in Western Equatoria. We have nine other communities that live together peacefully. The Western Equatoria crisis started in 2021 after the formation of the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity, in which the state was given to the IO leadership,” Juma said.
“We had expected Futuyo to govern the people of Western Equatoria State, but instead, he created problems in Tambura among communities that have lived together for over 100 years. There were militias allied with him that began to kill the Azande in cold blood,” he claimed.
The Azande elder alleged that the former governor and his militias killed 500 people, destroyed 1,000 houses and displaced 150,000 others, who are now in various locations, including Yambio, Nzara, Ezo and Juba.
“We did not know the intention of this fight until the letter of Feb. 26, which requested an administrative area. It means the intention behind all the fighting and killing was to displace people from Tambura and then claim it as an administrative area,” he said.
When reached by Radio Tamazuj for comment, Balanda community elder and Transitional National Legislative Assembly member Pascal Bandindi confirmed they had written to the Council of States requesting a new administrative area in Tambura County.
“Since it is already before the Council of State, I reserve my comment because all these matters are addressed in the letter written by the Balanda community,” he added.
For her part, the chairperson of the Committee for Governance and State Affairs at the Council of States, Sarah Nene Redento, said they had received the Azande’s complaint against the Balanda.
“We have listened to their petition, and it will be referred to the committee for study before being presented to the honorable members,” she said.
She urged both the Balanda and Azande to refrain from violence and embrace peaceful coexistence.
“Fighting cannot bring a solution. We encourage them to live in peace and coexist as before. Let the killing stop, and let them stay together. Western Equatoria is big enough to accommodate everyone,” Redento stressed.