Demining firm suspends work along Torit-Lafon road over insecurity

UNMISS peacekeepers from Rwanda and military observers recently rescued 20 United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) workers who were ambushed in Longiro, Eastern Equatoria. [Photo: UNMISS]

G4S Global, a company contracted by the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) has suspended activities along the Torit-Lafon road in Eastern Equatoria State due to insecurity in the area.

G4S Global, a company contracted by the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) has suspended activities along the Torit-Lafon road in Eastern Equatoria State due to insecurity in the area. 

Earlier this month, vehicles belonging to G4S Global came under attack along the Oudo-Loronyo-Longiro road by a group of gunmen who looted all their food and assaulted the workers. 

This prompted Rwandan peacekeepers from the UNMISS Torit field office to come to their rescue and evacuate 20 workers from the Longiro area where they were based.

Eric Compion, the G4S team leader on-site, told Radio Tamazuj Monday that all their belongings were taken and they were left with nothing to eat.

“We were tasked by UNMAS to clear the road from Torit to Lafon, unfortunately on the 11 April, which was a Saturday, one of our vehicles was returning from Torit towards Longiro where we were staying and unknown gunmen or attackers stopped our vehicle, looted all our foods, all our money, they beat the guys thoroughly and they left them off to drive back to the camp”, the team leader said.

“By this point, we were completely cut off because we could not go further demining the road and we could not also come back due to the attack so our rescue arranged with UNMISS protection and they evacuated us from the area towards Torit,” Compion added. 

He believes work will resume if security is put in place, “Most probably yes if the security in the area gets sorted out most probably if we are tasked again by UNMAS, the team might return.”

Lopit North constituency area Member of Parliament, Severino Maira Janus, confirmed that the demining team had been evacuated and he called on the local communities to restore peace in the area.

The lawmaker demanded government intervention to allow free movement along the troubled road.

“They went to evacuate them from there but it is important for the people to restore security in the area especially this issue of the attack of the vehicle along the Torit-Loudo-Loronyo-Longiro road which is not good,” Maira said. “We don’t want such things to happen, we want to discourage such things and that one the government has to come on board to combat those criminals who are doing wrong things and allow the roads to be passable and organizations can travel to the area with no problem.” 

The commissioner of Lafon County, Magisto Ukachi Agweri, expressed frustration over the continuous attacks along roads linking his county and the state capital saying they pose an economic threat to the local communities.

“We have been telling all the citizens in this state that let us not tamper with anybody walking or traveling through this main road because these are the people bringing services to the people but there are some few individuals or criminals, they don’t listen to what the government is telling them but time will come they may be brought to book,” Commissioner Ukachi warned.  

“It is just a matter of time. So I want to assure this company and all the users of this road, be it Lafon-Torit road or Hiyalla-Imehejek road that time will come that all these evil activities will come to an end,” he added.

On 7 April, a lorry hired by a humanitarian organization was attacked on the same road and all people on board were stripped naked and all their belongings were looted after being put at gunpoint between Oudo and Oronyo villages of Bur Payam in Torit County. 

On 11 April, at least one person was killed and another wounded after four civilians clashed with Military Intelligence soldiers along Torit- Lafon road at Oudo-Oronyo junction.