The Government of South Sudan has since Wednesday deployed the SSPDF along the Juba-Bor road to contain attacks on travelers and reopen the highway, police spokesperson Major General Daniel Justin said Thursday.
On Tuesday, four people were killed and three others wounded when a commuter vehicle from Bor to Juba came under attack in Mangalla Payam of Central Equatoria State. On Wednesday, a foreign registered goods truck moving from Bor to Juba also came under attack. The authorities in Jonglei State accused armed youth from Central Equatoria’s Terekeka County of carrying out the Tuesday and Wednesday attacks along the highway.
Gen. Justin told Radio Tamazuj Thursday that the army deployed and the police commissioners from the neighboring states are working to ensure the road is safe.
“The road was not okay for the last two days but we have already sent forces on the ground and the police commissioners of Jonglei and Central Equatoria are working to make sure that the road is safe. After the attacks, the situation is now reported to be calm but tensions are still existing,” he said. “We are expecting more reports from our forces on the ground and are still investigating the attacks but no one has been arrested yet. A foreign driver and his assistant were attacked on Wednesday and beaten but they were released. We have not identified the attackers but the forces are still investigating.”
Meanwhile, Thon Philip Nhial, the deputy head of the drivers’ union in Bor, on Thursday confirmed that vehicles escorted by the army on Wednesday started moving from Bor or Juba.
“On Tuesday, a car coming from Juba to Bor was attacked on the road by the people of Mallanganyaro, and on Wednesday they also attacked a vehicle coming from Juba but no people are injured,” he said. “Since Wednesday, vehicles are being escorted by government soldiers and when they find you on the road, they escort you. However, I told the drivers not to carry any passengers for now.”
For his part, the Jonglei State Police Commissioner Major General Elia Costa said they have jointly deployed forces with the authorities of Central Equatoria State.
“On Wednesday we sent our forces to the place where the incident happened and Central Equatoria also sent their forces there and they met there,” he said. “There are vehicles now moving from Bor to Juba and there are also vehicles coming from Juba to Bor and we escort them up to these places.”
Genesis of the crises
The commissioner of Terekeka County, Warnyang Buyi, during an interview with Radio Tamazuj on Thursday, explained the genesis of the crisis between youth from his county and displaced Bor people who reside in Mangala.
“Three days ago there is a boy who was carrying a girl on a motorcycle near the displaced persons camp in Mangala and the people in the camp started shooting at them,” he explained. “When the people on the motorbike fell, they were beaten. So, the beginning of the crisis was the beating of the boy and attack on the girl.”
Commissioner Buyi urged the governors of Central Equatoria and Jonglei State to initiate a peace dialogue which will be chaired by the commissioners of Terekeka Bor counties.
“The Mundari and Bor people have long had historical ties,” he said. “What I want is that the two governors should connect us the commissioners from the two counties to have a friendly peace dialogue to bring peace.”