Chagor seeks Pieri peace accord reactivation

Jonglei State Governor Denay Jock Chagor has called for the reactivation of the peace accords signed with the neighbouring Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) to cease the cycle of killings.

In a press statement issued yesterday, Chagor said Jonglei State was committed to the Pieri Peace Agreement and the peace accord signed in Bor months ago.

He called on his counterpart, Lokole Amee, to prioritise peace by talking to the youth in his administrative area to stop killing innocent citizens.

“The peace between us and the GPAA is bigger than everything. However, we feel that little is honoured by the Greater Pibor Administrative Area for not doing enough to cease recurrent attacks,” the statement read in part.

“The government of Jonglei State has strongly condemned the recurrent incidents on Jonglei’s citizens and I call upon the authorities of GPAA to dialogue with their youth and advise them [to avoid] recurrent attacks so that we both embark on peacebuilding.”

The Chairperson of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area Steering Committee, Juma Laduz, said they were committed to the peace process.

He added that the youth were committed to peace with Jonglei State.

Commitment to peace

Juma condemned the killings in Jonglei State, saying the GPAA administration will try its best to investigate the attacks if the criminals are from Greater Pibor.

“Currently, the youth in GPAA is still in the provision of having peace with Jonglei State. Everybody is expecting that peace to be implemented. The suspicious eye could be on the side of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, which we could not deny and we cannot accept because there is no proof showing that these people are from Greater Pibor, ” he said.

“We will also investigate if these people could be people from Greater Pibor. They should be arrested, of course, because they are the peace spoilers. An investigation will be conducted by the government and the youth even in the bomas and villages, ” Juma said, adding an arrest would be made after the probe.

Retaliatory attacks

According to the data from the office of the governor, a total of 34 people were killed last month following the Bor incident that claimed the lives of seven traders from GPAA.

This was a retaliatory killing over an incident where two people were murdered on their way to Anyidi from Bor. Also, other traders from Jonglei were killed between Gumuruk and Machabol in GPAA later.

On November 23, 2021, seven students who were returning home from a university in Ethiopia were killed between Akobo East and Akobo West. Another incident followed on November 25, when two people were wounded in Dengjok Payam, Akobo County.

On November 26, two more people were wounded in Chan Boma in Akobo County, which was followed by another incident of cattle rustling on November 30, when 69 cattle were raided in Akobo west.

On December 1, three people were killed and six women were abducted at Buong, Akobo West.

There were five incidences of the crimes committed in Jonglei State, which happened in Akobo County alone.