Hundreds of internally displaced persons from Logo Boma of Otogo Payam in Central Equatoria’s Yei River County are in dire need of humanitarian assistance after being forced out of their homes by renewed fighting.
Last Friday and Saturday, many IDPs, mostly women, children, and the elderly were reported to be fleeing to Yei town following deadly clashes between NAS rebels and SSPDF forces in the area.
Loyce Duku, an IDP camping at the Episcopal Church of South Sudan compound in Yei town, told Radio Tamazuj that it was not clear what triggered the fighting early morning on Friday but that her family fled to Yei town through bushes.
“We do not know what was going on among the fighters in Logo and we were awakened by the sounds of gunshots and we ran into the bush early in the morning,” Duku said. “We ran into the bush without food and even clothes and we have been suffering since we arrived here.”
James Taban, another IDP from Logo, lamented that armed fighters displaced them every year during harvest time. He said they fled into Yei town leaving behind all their belongings, including food items, and urged the belligerent forces to stop fighting so people could farm and produce food.
“I am tired due to the long walk into the ECSS compound and in my opinion, the government should work hard to stop this fighting. We are innocent people in the villages who depend on farming activities to sustain our livelihoods through agriculture,” Taban pleaded.
Mabe Moses, the Yei River County Relief and Rehabilitation Commission coordinator, confirmed that there are 175 individual IDPs without humanitarian assistance and that more are still arriving into Yei town.
“As I am speaking now, more IDPs are arriving and some of them are undergoing the registration process and we are looking for necessary support like food and shelter to be given to them. Other humanitarian partners are also on the ground doing a needs assessment,” Mabe said.
Mutto Emmanuel, the executive director for a local NGO, Action for Community Transformation Initiative, condemned the constant displacement of civilians in the Yei area and urged the armed groups in the Yei area to respect the Rome peace initiative, especially the cessation of hostilities agreement.
“All this is happening as a result of the violation of the Rome declaration and my message to the armed groups is to respect the cessation of hostilities agreement so that the civil population can enjoy the dividends of peace,” Mutto said.
Since the outbreak of the conflict around Central Equatoria State in 2016, the Yei area has been restive and has witnessed constant waves of fighting and displacement of civilians from their villages.