Juba, South Sudan,
Nov 16, 2016(Nyamilepedia) —- Speaking to Nyamilepedia press over the phone, Hon. Yongule Athanasius Lojojo, the Yei River County Minister of Local Government & Law Enforcement condemns the brutal killing of twelve civilians by burning them theirs grass thatch huts in Pukuka Village on November 15 at afternoon hours.
Hon. Lojojo says that there is a possibility of more dead bodies rotting in the bushes after this brutal killing were carried in a broad day light.
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The minister calls on local communities and their leaders to report any barbaric activities targeting civilians by the army and armed groups in the area.
“The local chiefs and the community leaders have to report any incident so that immediate measures will be taken against them,” The local government minister promises.
The army faction loyal to president Salva Kiir has distanced itself from the killing of the civilians claiming that earlier reports which accused the army of killing the civilians was generated by members of SPLA-IO and other anti-government forces.
Col. Santo Doming, the SPLA Deputy Spokesperson, reported that it was an attempt to tarnish the image of the army by “anti-peace elements within the community”.
Santo says the army command was unaware of such allegations against the military, but admitted the existence of hostile groups opposed to restoration of law and order in the area.
“For sure these are allegations that do not carry any single truth. They are the work of anti-peace elements who are determined to concoct such divisive allegations to appeal an ethnic attention. Our gallant forces are working hard to restore law and order in the country so that civilians to stay safe in their homes so as to resume their normal life” the deputy spokesman claims.
His remarks came in the wake of allegations that security forces slaughtered five family members, who included three elders in Yei River state.
Government forces, the locals say, entered a village in Mukaya County in the early hours of Wednesday last week and hacked a family of five to death.
They allegedly returned on Thursday in a large number estimated to be about 180 heavily armed personnel and hacked three others elders before ransacking the whole village and made away with the looted items.
The three elders, an eyewitness told press they were killed because of alleged allegiance of their sons to politicians allied to the armed opposition.
This incident came days after government forces fought with armed opposition forces in Gimunu, an area located 8 miles on Yei-Juba road, resulting in the death of two civilians.
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