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Security forces infighting in Yida

Clashes broke out yesterday between police forces recently arrived to Yida refugee camp from Bentiu, the capital of South Sudan’s Unity state, and local authorities of the Yida Administrative Unit. A firefight in Yida caused panic among citizens and refugees and closure of shops in the market. Gunfire was heard until morning. The local authorities who are drawn mainly from the resident Dinka community have their headquarters at a four-room building at the center of the refugee camp. Heavily armed police forces from Bentiu who are all Nuer arrived to Yida camp in mid-December and began collecting taxes and license fees from market stalls. High tensions between the state police and the payam officials and refugees in late December culminated in some arrests, shop closures, and allegations of heavy-handedness as well as one incident of attempted rape. The state police force has now been expelled from premises of the local government owing to the intervention of an army unit arriving from Pariang area. Although the immediate cause of the fighting was not clear, an earlier report had suggested that “police excesses” could lead to armed confrontation, with Yida payam officials raising complaints to higher levels of government. Late last month the chief inspector of police in Yida payam, Capt. Arop Dau, sent a letter to the Pariang County Commissioner Col. Mijok Gatdet, detailing various accusations against another officer. The letter named Lt. Tito Biel Par as responsible for stealing 8000 pounds from refugee students, taking another 46,000 from three people coming from Nuba Mountains, taking 17,000 from a trader, taking 12 kilograms of gold, and beating a trader named Bakita. “Therefore he was fighting with us by hand, always he [confiscated from] the refugee civilians,” said the letter, which was undated but was obtained by Radio Tamazuj on 28 December apparently soon after its writing.Photo by Radio Tamazuj: A troop of soldiers from Pariang occupies the area around the authorities’ office in Yida after a confrontation among security forces.

January 2, 2013 YIDA

Clashes broke out yesterday between police forces recently arrived to Yida refugee camp from Bentiu, the capital of South Sudan’s Unity state, and local authorities of the Yida Administrative Unit.

A firefight in Yida caused panic among citizens and refugees and closure of shops in the market. Gunfire was heard until morning.

The local authorities who are drawn mainly from the resident Dinka community have their headquarters at a four-room building at the center of the refugee camp.

Heavily armed police forces from Bentiu who are all Nuer arrived to Yida camp in mid-December and began collecting taxes and license fees from market stalls.

High tensions between the state police and the payam officials and refugees in late December culminated in some arrests, shop closures, and allegations of heavy-handedness as well as one incident of attempted rape.

The state police force has now been expelled from premises of the local government owing to the intervention of an army unit arriving from Pariang area.

Although the immediate cause of the fighting was not clear, an earlier report had suggested that “police excesses” could lead to armed confrontation, with Yida payam officials raising complaints to higher levels of government.

Late last month the chief inspector of police in Yida payam, Capt. Arop Dau, sent a letter to the Pariang County Commissioner Col. Mijok Gatdet, detailing various accusations against another officer.

The letter named Lt. Tito Biel Par as responsible for stealing 8000 pounds from refugee students, taking another 46,000 from three people coming from Nuba Mountains, taking 17,000 from a trader, taking 12 kilograms of gold, and beating a trader named Bakita.

“Therefore he was fighting with us by hand, always he [confiscated from] the refugee civilians,” said the letter, which was undated but was obtained by Radio Tamazuj on 28 December apparently soon after its writing.

Photo by Radio Tamazuj: A troop of soldiers from Pariang occupies the area around the authorities’ office in Yida after a confrontation among security forces.