Arms embargo bars solutions to Greater Jonglei killings-Mathok

A lawmaker in the Reconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly, Salva Mathok Gengdit, has said the arms embargo imposed on South Sudan is an obstacle to finding short-term solutions to conflicts in Jonglei State and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA).

In his analysis shared yesterday, Mathok said the creation of a buffer zone at an interval of 40 kilometres could save the situation.

However, he said this is impossible due to the arms embargo because the South Sudanese army is not fully armed to protect citizens.

“This buffer zone is to be assigned to SSPDF by providing them with helicopters, gunships, and drones to monitor with orders to kill anybody who appears in that buffer zone as a red line. These forces with gunships can be stationed in Bor Airstrip. “

He said the media should be used as a means to educate communities and that the movement of people and goods should be monitored by such forces.

“This phase one will not be possible to achieve because of the current arms embargo on the nation. That will not allow us to acquire armament for protecting our people and resources, which are now being looted by foreign elements in the bushes across South Sudan. “

Mathok said the government should also carry out disarmament, plan more peace conferences, form a high-level committee at the level of the presidency to provide roads, schools, health centres, among others.

He said there should be an establishment of wildlife forces in those areas to protect animals which he said were killed for food so that they could go and kill themselves.

The lawmaker further said that the status of division-8 and the Cobra Brigade should be reviewed in those areas as part of long term plans.

“In my conclusion, Greater Jonglei has manpower and huge resources that we need in this country if there is peace. I appeal to those who gave up and concluded that the Greater Jonglei conflict has no solution. That is a sign of failure and that failure should not exist, ” he said.

“I am confident that we will achieve a lasting peace if we all commit ourselves to the betterment of our beloved country. There are well-educated people in Greater Jonglei, where each of them will contribute ideas for the final peace in the region. “

Call for joint security

A few days ago, the Executive Director of Intrepid South Sudan (ISS), Bol Deng Bol, called for a joint security force between Jonglei State and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area.

“I kneel before you today to humbly appeal to the government of Jonglei State to reach out to their counterparts in GPAA to, as a matter of urgency, form a Joint Security Force and establish a Buffer Zone between JS and GPAA,” he stressed.

He said the decision, if put in place, would help in ending the continued killings between the two areas.

“GPAA elements are about to do more horrible things to the people of Jonglei State, and elements within Jonglei State most likely plan to do the same to the people of GPAA.” “The government should not just sit with folded arms and wait to condemn after an infliction,” Bol said.

The activist also called for the establishment of juvenile and gender-based violence courts in the state to stop cases related to human rights violations.

“On behalf of civil society organizations in Jonglei State, I want to take this opportunity to call upon Chief Justice Reech Chan to equally open a GBV and Juvenile Court in Bor, Jonglei State to aid in combating this vice.”

“However, violations and abuses of human rights have largely continued unabated with alarming impunity,” Bol emphasised.