The Western Equatoria Caretaker Governor Patrick Raphael Zamoi is downplaying the formation of armed groups in the state including militias known as ‘Arrow Boys,’ whom he admits are forcibly recruiting children and youths.
At a press conference in Juba yesterday, the governor admitted that his state is facing serious security problems but he declined to call it a rebellion, referring instead to “organized criminals” and groups of “Arrow Boys”.
Speaking on Tuesday at the Western Equatoria State Coordination Office in Juba, Governor Zamoi said it is very difficult for the government to identify who are behind the “crimes” in his state.
“We have a situation whereby young men are not in peace and are on the run, because… you find armed groups will come and abduct a young man and take them along with them. And there is a claim that they are opening a training center to train them,” he said.
The governor referred to increasing roadside ambushes. “You find that people will come and ambush the road – any car which is moving, they will loot all the goods in the car. If you are moving by foot or motorbike, they will stop you – your mobile phone they will take it, your money, they will take it.”
Asked about how these ‘criminals’ are arming themselves he responded, “We have found that now – especially in Yambio area – some of them are putting on masks. When somebody covers all his face with masks, he is already identified to be organized crime. But where he got his gun, he knows it himself – you and me, we don’t know.”
The governor would not identify the group as a formal opposition party or rebel faction. “So since nobody have come and claimed to be responsible for all the atrocities which is happening in Western Equatoria or what is the idea – so it is difficult for us to point a finger. But slowly, we will get there and we will let you know who are doing these.”
Zamoi noted that the government has imposed a curfew in Yambio and deployed more forces in Yambio town and outskirts “to avoid abduction of these children” – a reference to the alleged militia recruitment activities in the area.
Dialogue with Maridi ‘Arrow Boys’
The governor disclosed that the army (SPLA) has been seeking to recruit allies among the local population, a programme that would involve integration of ‘Arrow Boys’ into SPLA ranks. He pointed to some success in the Maridi area, saying it helped calm the situation there after insecurity in recent months.
“The program for the Arrow Boys is in place. And we are yet to find the budgets to start with, but they have responded positively, especially those in Maridi area. Maridi is now relatively calm, which was also having a problem last time.”
“They [Arrow Boys from Maridi] sent some of their members to us as the government, we met, they wrote their memo, we agreed on principles. So we are here to see indeed that things go well, we embark on this issue… most of them have embraced it.”
But other groups of Arrow Boys are continuing to recruit more youths. The governor downplayed recruitment by these militias, however, saying it was only forcible recruitment and not voluntary.
“It does not mean that when we are hearing about boys being abducted they are [voluntarily] joining the group. If the boys could be joining the group [voluntarily] they could have not been abducted. Because some of them are rejecting that process, that is why they are abducting them, to take them by force.”
The governor blamed the community for not cooperating with the government in order to identify those behind the crimes and ‘abductions’.
“Up to now it has not come clearly to us, who is behind all this. You find young a man being abducted among the community and when you asked the community they are quiet. When you ask the community who are those people? They say we don’t know. Who have done this? We don’t know.”