The committee formed by President Salva Kiir to investigate the root causes of intercommunal violence in Jonglei state and Greater Pibor Administrative Area said youths from Jonglei who carried out raids in various villages of Greater Pibor Administrative Area returned to their areas.
Daniel Abucha Ali, the investigation committee’s spokesperson, told Radio Tamazuj on Thursday that armed youths from Jonglei left Pibor areas recently.
“All of the local youths from Duk, Gawer, Lou Nuer, Twic East and Bor have all returned. We are preparing to go and to speak to them before the conference kicks off,” he said.
Separately, Joseph Mayen Akon, the police commissioner of Jonglei State also said most of the local youths from the greater Bor have returned, adding that youths who remained in Pibor area are returning and most of them are now in the area of Anyidi.
Meanwhile, Judy Jonglei, the speaker of the now-defunct Boma State legislative assembly, has denied reports that local youths from Bor have withdrawn from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area.
He pointed out that several local youths went to greater Pibor, casting doubt whether all the youths have returned to their villages.
“I am not sure whether the local youths from Bor have completely returned from greater Pibor because the area has a large forest and the number of the local youths were in thousands. So I am not sure what the authorities are saying is true,” Judi said.
The Greater Jonglei region has been plagued by recurring intercommunal tensions involving the Dinka, Nuer and Murle communities. The cycle of violence is often accompanied by cattle raids, child abductions, and other forms of revenge-inducing crimes.
In June, President Salva Kiir formed a committee to address the root causes of intercommunal violence in the Greater Jonglei region.