Kwongo Dak Padiet, the king of the Shilluk tribe in South Sudan has accused President Kiir’s government of carrying out ethnic cleansing of his tribe in the Upper Nile region.
The Shilluk king is not an independent political leader, but a traditional chieftain within the government of South Sudan.
In a statement addressed to the international community and humanitarian organizations, the Shilluk king said the government is committing abuses and human rights violations against the Shilluk tribe and other ethnicities in several areas in Upper Nile State.
“The Chollo people (Shilluk) are in dire risk of cultural and physical extinction. This started with the scheme to dispossess them of their ancestral lands on east bank of the River Nile,” partly reads the statement.
“The Dinka, in the guise of government army, have razed down Chollo villages of Wau, Ogod, Makal, Obwua, Warajwok, Adodo, Dur, Thworo and Owechi, “adds the statement.
The king called on the East African regional bloc IGAD and the international community to put pressure on President Kiir and his government to stop the ongoing ethnic cleansing against his tribe.
“I have requested my lawyers to prepare a case against President Salva Kiir, the SPLA Chief of General Staff, the Director General of National Security, the Director of National Security Services, and Director of Military Intelligence as well as the chairman and members of the Jieng Council of Elders for all the crimes committed against the Chollo people to be presented before the International Criminal Court,” he said.
Kwongo appealed to humanitarian organizations and well-wishers, besides the IGAD countries to provide emergency aid assistance to the conflict-affected people in Upper Nile.
Radio Tamazuj was unable to reach government officials in Juba to commnent on the matter.
Photo: Kwongo Dak Padiet/Pachodo.org