A 36-year-old man identified as Johnson Okuyo, popularly known as Obuha, on Tuesday night surrendered to authorities for killing Arichoto Atara, 30, in Oronyo Village, Torit County, in Eastern Equatoria State.
On Thursday last week, one person was shot dead, 18 houses burnt to ashes and hundreds of people were displaced following intercommunal clashes between the Isaru and Hiyu sections in Oronyo.
The surrender follows last Sunday’s one-day peace dialogue that brought together state and county authorities and local area representatives to discuss and find amicable solutions to recurrent violent conflicts in Oronyo Village. Since then, relative peace has returned to the area.
According to local authorities, the suspect is now being held at the Torit Central Police Station while a manhunt is on for other suspects who burnt several houses to the ground in Oronyo.
Abdalla Thomas, the youth leader in Oronyo, told Radio Tamazuj that Okuyo who had earlier denied killing Atara was convinced by his parents to admit guilt and allow justice take its course and surrendered at around 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
“He handed himself to his parents and they called the commissioner who took him to Torit. When we investigated him earlier, he denied the killing but accepted to go to the police and it was his relatives who took him to the commissioner,” he stated. “It is now the role of the police to investigate him on the crime committed.”
For his part, Torit County Commissioner Christopher Andrew confirmed that the suspect is currently in police custody awaiting trial.
“This boy (Okuyo) was arrested on Tuesday and is currently at the police in Torit for investigation. His name appeared in the investigation we conducted earlier and it is said he shot the gun that killed someone. We also have the gun,” he said. “The rest are being traced for burning houses and when arrested, they will be detained at the police station in Oronyo. When they are all apprehended then they will be brought here (Torit) for investigations.”
The commissioner urged the youth to desist from politicians who incite conflict in the area, saying conflict causes destruction and creates hostility.
“My advice to the community is that the youth should focus on developmental activities not destroy our communities and their properties because these properties help us in the future,” he advised. “We should not tolerate politics from people fueling conflicts in the community. Some people will tell you to destroy things by giving you money and guns and bullets to go and kill people from other communities and this is unacceptable.”
Meanwhile, Euince Nakiru, a civil society and women’s activist who works for Najaling Foundation lauded the murder suspect’s voluntary surrender, saying it was acceptance for the crime committed.
“This is a sign of peace and realization that peace means people have to reach the grassroots to witness what happened among communities and to deter tensions,” she said. “The suspect voluntarily surrendered himself instead of the whole community which is innocent being held accountable. By surrendering himself, he did well. Now the law has to take its course.”
“We are one people and should not kill ourselves and there should be no revenge killings,” Nakiru added.