Peter Lomude Francis, a member of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance representing Yei River County in Parliament, is urgently calling for humanitarian assistance for over 400 individuals who were forcibly evicted from Lata village in Ombasi Boma of Yei River County by the army.
Speaking during a parliament session on Tuesday, Lomude emphasized the immediate need for humanitarian aid from the government, humanitarian organizations, and well-wishers. He explained that the Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) ordered the immediate evacuation of the area’s civilians, a move that violates the 2018 peace agreement. Currently, the displaced individuals are seeking refuge at Emmanuel Cathedral Church in Yei Town.
“Honourable speaker, our legitimacy in this house is based on the peace agreement. The agreement prohibits forcing civilians from their areas of livelihood,” he stated. Lomude had previously raised concerns about the forceful eviction in Ombasi Boma, where a father and his two sons lost their lives.
Lomude described the eviction as a result of “intimidation and looting,” leading to the displacement of 433 people from Lata. These displaced individuals, including women, children, and the elderly, are now facing a severe humanitarian crisis without support from either the government or humanitarian organizations.
“As of Wednesday last week, 433 persons are sheltering at the ECS compound without food and non-food items. So, there is a very serious humanitarian situation in Yei, particularly at the ECS compound, where civilians were forced by the mobile force of the SSPDF in an area called Lata in Ombasi village to leave, and their belongings taken, including cattle and other possessions,” he stressed.
Lomude appealed to the legislative body and the media for humanitarian assistance to those who are now sheltering under trees in Yei.
When asked by Radio Tamazuj for a statement regarding the reasons behind the SSPDF’s eviction of civilians in Lata, Lul Rai Koang, the SSPDF Spokesperson, declined to comment, stating that he lacks information on the matter. “I don’t know. I have no information,” said Lul.
Attempts to contact the ECS Bishop of Yei Diocese were unsuccessful, as phone calls could not be connected.