Yau Yau ally says Pibor clashes ‘politically motivated’

General Khalid Botrous, the head of the integration committee for the SSDM-Cobra Faction in South Sudan’s Boma State, says recent clashes in the area have been contained but he blames politicians for the violence.

General Khalid Botrous, the head of the integration committee for the SSDM-Cobra Faction in South Sudan’s Boma State, says recent clashes in the area have been contained but he blames politicians for the violence.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, Botrous said fighting which involved two rival groups was politically motivated. He pointed out that the clashes erupted because Pibor citizens reject the newly appointed Governor Baba Medan.

“But the situation has been contained and it has returned to normal after the forces were separated in anticipation of any further confrontations,” he explained.

Khalid, who is an ally of David Yau Yau, said that the case was submitted to President Kiir, while predicting that it will be solved in the coming few days.

Khalid resigned recently from his position as Boma State minister of physical infrastructure after a disagreement within the state government over whether to carry out an assessment on the popularity of the appointed governor or not.

Photo: SSDM/A commander Boutros Khalid (right) and his deputy at negotiations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2014