Two civil servants who were injured during a peaceful demonstration in Jonglei state capital, Bor town, on Wednesday have been discharged from Bor Hospital on Thursday after being treated.
Several people were injured Wednesday when a group of civil servants angered by a government announcement of a cut on their allowances clashed with security forces at the government headquarters.
“We received three people. They were beaten up with barrels of guns called AKM by the National Security forces. One man was beaten in the chest. His condition was serious. So he is still hospitalized,” a health worker who preferred anonymity said. “Another woman injured in the arm and a man injured on his head were dressed and we discharged them since Wednesday evening.”
The health worker said they are treating the remaining patients and that he was responding well because there is no fracture on his chest.
Joseph Mayen Akoon, the state police commissioner, admitted three people were injured following a confrontation with security forces after trying to forcibly occupy the State Secretariat.
“Those protestors took to the street and they were trying to enter the secretariat by force because they say want the release of their detained member. That was done. But in the process, there was a confrontation with security forces. So, three of them sustained minor injuries,” he said.
The top state police official pointed out that calm has been restored after the protestors were convinced their concerns would be addressed.
For his part, David Garang Goc, an activist with the Jonglei Civil Society Network, denounced the use of force on peaceful protestors by the security agents. He pointed out that more protests would be held if the government fails to address the civil servants’ demands.
“The meeting between the government and the representatives of protestors bore no good results. Protestors threatened to conduct more protests but today (Thursday), protests were temporarily called off because they were convinced that their problem would be addressed in the parliament,” he said.