Youths in South Sudan’s Lakes State yesterday demonstrated angrily against international organizations at a humanitarian hub in Minkamen IDP camp for alleged grievances including complaints about their recruitment policies.
Several people were beaten by the violent youths including journalists based in the area working on a humanitarian radio project.
According to a witness in Minkamen, the local youths went to the base of NGOs working in the area expressing several demands. Some claimed payment from the NGO Plan International while others accused UN agencies of failing to employ locals.
Some of the rioters also claimed the UN agencies and NGOs had neglectful policies toward the host community of Aliap, according to the source.
He added that demonstrators also demanded that one of the ACTED staff in the area leave Minkamen immediately.
Humanitarian organizations suspended operations in Minkamen on Monday after the demonstrators breached their base and acted violently toward staffs at the site.
A journalist working for the humanitarian radio Minkamen FM told Radio Tamazuj that some of their staff were beaten by the rioters because their office was located near the gate of the compound which was breached.
He said the local youths may have targeted the radio station’s staff by mistake, though the radio presenter was supposedly beaten while on-air. One out of three of the station’s staff who were beaten was taken to the hospital, he said.
One computer and some hand-held recorders went missing during the incident and the station also temporarily went off-air except for music broadcasting.
Meanwhile, Awerial County authorities could not be reached for comment.