The area in the far west of South Sudan in Western Equatoria State witnessed some incidents of violence last year in which soldiers looted the town.
Moses Raphael, the information officer for Ave Maria Ngboko Catholic Parish, says that he managed to talk to South Sudanese who are in Bambuti in Central Africa who told him they will come back if peace is attained.
“Some of our Christians here ran to Central Africa… we don’t know how we are going to do and how we are going to run our parish,” he said, adding that they might return after the situation stabilizes.
Moses adds that most of the South Sudanese who fled went to the two towns of Bambuti and Obo in Central African Republic. The population of South Sudanese now in the neighbouring country increases on a daily basis.
Tombura County Commissioner Gbamisi Charles Babiro confirms that people are leaving following the previous insecurity that happened in Source Yubu Payam between army and the citizens last year.
“It is most of the people who relocated themselves to Central Africa. Once they had some relatives who went there they sent back for their relatives. What the community wants is that those soldiers there [in Source Yubu] should be relocated to other people so that they can come back,” he said.
The Commissioner says citizens are asking for the replacement of the government forces in the area saying they have lost trust in the forces. Referring to the incidents of November 2015 in the area he said, “Since then it ended up in a nasty confrontation which resulted in much displacement, and the shops were looted.”
Babiro adds that the county authorities have started replacing the previous forces and bringing in new forces that will be reliable to citizens. The commissioner calls on the citizens to remain calm and join hands with the Government to work for total peace in South Sudan.
File photo: South Sudanese refugees in Democratic Republic of Congo (UNHCR)