Authorities in Bor County in Jonglei State have issued their strongest warning yet to the commander of the Red Belt vigilante group, saying they will pursue him if he fails to surrender voluntarily amid intensified security operations.
The warning was delivered at a press conference in Bor on Sunday after a consultative meeting involving Bor County leaders, members of parliament, youth and women representatives, traditional chiefs and local administrators. Participants said the meeting focused on ending violence and reasserting government authority in Bor and surrounding areas.
Bor County Commissioner Ateny Pech said the county leadership was fully aligned with the government and would not tolerate the activities of armed groups operating outside state control. He rejected claims that the community was shielding the Red Belt commander, Leek Mamer Leek.
“We, the people of Bor County, are not supporting Leek,” Ateny said. “We are standing with the Government of South Sudan, and we will never support him if he is fighting the government—unless he is fighting an enemy of the people of Bor County.”
Ateny said chiefs from Leek’s home area had been tasked with persuading him to surrender peacefully, warning that failure to do so would leave authorities with no option but to pursue him.
“As the head of security at the county level, I have been given the mandate to speak to the people so that they hand him over to the government,” he said. “If they fail to do so, the government will hunt for him itself.”
He said the ongoing security operations were aimed at restoring law and order and protecting civilians, not targeting communities. Responding to criticism over the use of heavy weapons during recent operations, Ateny said decisions on military tactics rest with the state.
“Citizens of Bor County do not choose which weapons the government uses,” he said.
Traditional leaders in Bor County called for unity and restraint.
Gordon Anoon Akol, head chief of Baidit and deputy paramount chief of Bor County, said divisions over the Red Belt group had heightened tensions. He suggested referring to the group as Gel Bai (community protector), arguing that the name “Red Belt” had fuelled fear.
“There is no history of rebellion in Bor,” Anoon said, linking recent violence to the presence of the group’s leader in Bor town. He urged unity and patience as the government seeks a resolution.
Youth leaders, however, criticised the government’s handling of security. Bor youth leader Mawut Peter Awan said failures in state protection had pushed some young people to take up arms in self-defence.
“If the government fully takes responsibility, the youth will hand over their guns voluntarily,” he said, adding that armed youth should disarm and return home if the community withdraws its support.
Leek Mamer Leek, also known as “90 Bullets,” has previously defended the Red Belt, saying the group was formed to protect the Dinka Bor community amid persistent insecurity. The group rose to prominence earlier this year after being accused of attacks, including one on government troops in September, prompting the national army to classify it as a rebel group, a label its leader rejects.
Last week, two people, including the deputy commander of the Red Belt and a national security officer, were killed during a security operation at a hotel in Bor town, triggering hours of unrest and gunfire.
Human rights activist Ter Manyang Gatwech has recently welcomed efforts by local authorities to pursue dialogue.
“Dialogue is the best way to resolve conflict in modern society,” Gatwech said, calling for negotiations to address concerns raised by the Red Belt movement.