South Sudan’s First Vice President, Taban Deng Gai, proposed a strong police force to be deployed in order to secure a buffer zone between the territories of the feuding Dinka Bor and Murle tribes.
The first vice president, who was in Bor town on Saturday, was tasked to find amicable solutions to the ongoing conflict between Jonglei and Boma states.
Addressing hundreds of students at Dr. John Garang Memorial University on Saturday, Gai said the two states need to contribute 2, 000 police forces to patrol the common borders and deter criminals between the two sides.
“You as people of Jonglei state, you don’t have police and now there are 4, 000 police personnel receiving money from the national government. If there are old people in the police, they should be laid off and energetic young people replace them,” he said.
According to Gai, majority of people in the state police are women and elderly people who cannot vigorously respond to criminals.
The first vice president pointed out that with presence of strong police to provide protection, people would be able to return to their villages and start to cultivate.
“People here need to return to their villages in Anyidi, Makauch and other villages and the same to Murle they have to return to their villages. Everybody should live in peace,” he said.
Gai pointed out that the two communities of Jonglei and Boma states have expressed willingness to settle the issue of child abductions and cattle rustling.
However, Jonglei’s governor, Philip Aguer Panayng, said local youth in his state no longer believe in government protection, saying they occasionally defy government orders, citing random shooting in the Bor town last month.