Traditional leaders in Yei River County on Tuesday raised their concerns to the local county government over what they described as “daily killings and restricted access to farmlands” by the government soldiers in the area.

Speaking on behalf of the chiefs, Yei River County Paramount Chief, Peter Saeed Morjan, said: “What is so bad is that, when people go to their farmlands to get some food or dig, they are being killed. We want our commissioner to speak to the heads of the military in the county and the state to protect us and listen to what the president has said.”

The local leader urged the conflicting parties to cease fire, respect the civil population and grant civilians access to their farmlands especially at the onset of the rainy season.

The chief claimed that in a period of one week, nearly 10 people were shot dead by government soldiers in the areas of Jigomoni, Nyongwe, Dar-el-Salam, Luataya, Sopiri, Hai Dam and Sanja-Siri areas.

Peter urged the county commissioner to instruct the army commanders in the county to stop killing innocent civilians and embark on the national dialogue for peace to prevail in Yei county and the whole state.

For his part,  Yei River County Commissioner Danis Lasuba noted the concerns raised and said: “I as a government representative, I also have a duty to address these concerns to the heads of the security to ensure that they protect and respect farmers in their gardens and allow them to go and farm. I also need to call on the civilians to use the rainy season for cultivation.”

Photo: Yei chiefs at a meeting with their commissioner on 21 March, 2017/Radio Tamazuj