The Governor of Eastern Equatoria State has called for calm and urged residents of Torit Town’s Enyief suburb to return to their homes following tensions in the area after the deployment of SSPDF troops last week, to curb criminality, according to local authorities.
Last Friday, gunmen, whom the government said belonged to the SPLA-IO, attacked and killed one of the SSPDF soldiers who had been deployed to the area three days earlier, leading to more panic.
Speaking on the state-owned Radio 97.5 FM on Monday, Governor Lobong acknowledged that the SSPDF deployment and subsequent attack on the unit resulted in people fleeing the area. He, however, reassured citizens of the government’s commitment to resolving the matter peacefully and urged them to return to their homes.
“Our soldier of SSPDF was shot dead for no reason in Gumbo/Enyief, and those behind the shooting are the soldiers of SPLM/A-IO. I know some of the people of Enyief left their homes in fear,” he said. “This issue will be peacefully solved, and people should not fear or leave their homes. I am urging the people of Enyief who fled to return to their places.”
According to Lobong, the deployment of SSPDF forces was to provide protection and contain gangs jeopardizing peace and stability in the area.
“The forces were previously deployed there to protect the area because there were issues of niggers (gangs), thieves, and robberies at night and it is the responsibility of state authorities to protect its citizens and the town,” he stated. “This Enyief was not in the cantonment but is a place within Torit Town. So, the forces were deployed to protect citizens there, and they can still be deployed anywhere there is insecurity.”
“I do not want to say it is all the SPLA-IO, but those are individuals from SPLA-IO who committed the crime, maybe without even the command from their leadership,” he added.
The governor said they are working with the SPLA-IO leadership to apprehend the perpetrators and arraign them in court.
For her part, Sabina Ifuho, a resident of Enyief, said the deployment of soldiers in civilian settlements creates insecurity and called for their withdrawal.
“What happened in Enyief was terrible because we fear these people (soldiers). We were forced to flee to the main town, but we have now returned because the governor said people should return to their homes,” she said. “However, we are not happy as civilians because there will be no peace if we stay in the same place with soldiers and their guns. The soldiers should be withdrawn from this place.”
Taban Geoffrey, another resident of Enyief, said he will only return home with his family when the movement of forces in the area is minimized.
“Civilians were not informed about the deployment of the soldiers, causing fear that clashes might erupt between the SSPDF and SPLA-IO forces and that civilians would be victims. Civilians have not accepted the governor’s call to return home, and many are still in town,” he said. “My wife came yesterday, but our children are still in town. If the government wants to do anything, they should inform civilians.”