Youth criticizes Aweil government for stopping fundraising initiative to help Yith-Pabol victims

The government of Northern Bahr el Ghazal state has closed down four youth centers that were set up to raise resources to help victims of last week attack at Yith-Pabol villages in Aweil East county. At least 13 people were killed and 1000 people, about 57 households were displaced.

Youth groups in the state set up centers for people to bring in their contribution to help those affected with food and non food items as most of their belonging were destroyed by Misseriya tribesmen from Sudan’s South Darfour region who attacked the area.

Deng Athian Teeng is a youth representative and member of the committee. He spokes to Akol Yam FM in Aweil saying their activities were suddenly stopped by the order from the Mayor of Aweil municipality Council. He says all the four centers that were established for people to bring in their support have been closed and all planned cancelled.

Athian accused the government of not wanting youth to lead the initiative because of political interest which he did not elaborate.

“Town municipality sent security personal to shut down all the centers that we created to mobilize some resources from the community to support people affected by the recent attack in Yith Pabol Aweil East County,” he said.

The government says any fundraising support for Yith-Pabol must be centralized and led by the government committee and urged youth to join and be part of the state committee.

Deng Deng Maker-Agot, is the deputy town Mayor for finance and admin in Aweil town. He says a new committee has been formed, its comprised of youth, traders, and state government officials so that the process is well coordinated in mobilizing resources.

” We shut down call centers created by youths because we have our committee form and we need those youths called Aweil youths intellectual network, Aweil family, youths Union, and SPLM youth leagues to join the new committee as a subcommittee.” The new committee of 11 members which was formed on Wednesday is headed by the deputy town Mayor of Aweil municipality.

Bul Kuot Ayieny, is the secretary general of the fundraising committee. He says their aim is not to linked issue with politics but to support the victims.

He said they won’t accept to join the committee formed by Aweil town municipality. Kuot said they will handed over the items that have been contributed before the activities were stopped to the commissioner of Aweil East.

“We are not happy with what the government did because, as youth, we have the right to help our people affected by fighting without government,” Kuot said.

Tomas Atem Aleu is the chairperson for Aweil intellectual network, a group was mobilizing resources for the victims. He says the authorities should earlier reveal their plan to support the affected families and unify the contribution amicably.

Atem said they still need clarification from town Municipality why they were stopped, despite green light from the deputy governor that gave them go-ahead because the initiative is is not something related to politics.

Last week, suspected Misseriya armed attacked Yith Pabol and killed over 13 people and close to sixty households displaced from their homes and sheltered in nearby villages for safety.