Authorities in Bor County of South Sudan’s Jonglei state have called for the deployment of the police to help foster security as fear grips the Baidit area following Sunday’s raid by gunmen.
About 32 people were killed, 27 wounded, 2500 cattle raided and several houses torched when gunmen Bor officials suspected to have come from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) attacked and overrun Baidit on Sunday evening. But Pibor youth on Wednesday denied involvement in the attack.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday, Yuot Alier, Bor County commissioner, said several residents have been fleeing the area for fear of attacks since Sunday.
“There are still people in the area but some have been leaving for Bor because youth who used to protect them have been killed,” he said.
The commissioner called for the deployment of security forces to boost security in the area.
“We want the presence of police there to provide protection,” he said. “We do not know the number of those who fled or whose houses have been burnt but if there is a way we need humanitarian support because all the livelihoods have been taken.”
Meanwhile, Chuol Rambang, the country’s head of the peace commission, addressing a press conference in Juba Wednesday, blamed the Baidit attack on the ineffectiveness of the security forces.
“Had it not been because of lack of ready preparedness, it (the attack) would have been stopped. Our forces would have been at the site before the attack happened,” he said. “One of our recommendations, we will encourage the government to put a contingent in one of the areas in the middle known as Gadiang.”
For his part, Joseph Mayen Akoon, the state police commissioner, admitted residents are fearful after the attack and that plans are underway to deploy protection forces.
“The Baidit incident has created panic in the locals. As the police we are trying to restore calm,” he said. “This evening we will deploy police forces to be based there. They will be there on a rotational basis to provide protection.”