Activist urges gov’t to investigate Kapoeta killings

The chairperson of the Civil Society Network in Eastern Equatoria State, Onen Charles has called on the state government to investigate and address the root causes of revenge killing in greater Kapoeta.

This comes after more than 10 people, including a woman and two boys, were killed in cold blood in neighboring Kapoeta South and Budi counties this week.

Similar attacks have also been carried out by armed group from the two counties since January – a growing intercommunal conflict that observers blames on the government for doing less or nothing about.

“We like to request and appeal to the government to investigate the revenge killing and the perpetrators and inciters should be brought to books, it is for how long that we are going to behave this way and we continue to see the lives of innocent people perishing.” Said Onen Charles, Chairperson of Civil Society Network.

In response, the state minister of information – Patrick Oting – acknowledged the matter and said the concerned institutions will soon investigate the incidents.

“The State government currently has the forces as you know that we have Peace and Justice Mission forces that were formed for such kind of incidents and of course as the State government those are the forces that will go on the ground and try to look into the incident,” Oting stated.

He assured that the state will address the situation and bring the culprits to book “The State is doing best to see that those Kind of incidents should not happen.”

Revenge killing, communal attack, cattle raids are common crimes among the cattle keeping communities in South Sudan and it gradually increased since violence began in December 2013; arms sparked into the hands of civilians and armed violence become rampant claiming thousand of lives within the communities.