Women in Mundri East County have expressed fears due to the established Lanyi barracks that they say have increased levels of insecurity in the area.

Since its establishment, the barracks have turned out to be a curse rather than a blessing. It now attracts the anger of prowling rebels who frequently engage the soldiers in fierce shoot-outs where civilians are caught up in the melee.

“People think living or staying near an army base is helpful. No, it is not as safe as people think,” said Maria Gadaw Simon, one of the women who lives near Lanyi barracks in Mundri East County of Western Equatoria State.

“It is the opposite. I regret why God chose my area to be for army barracks,” she added.

In an interview with The City Review, Simon recalls how a night of gunshots uprooted their hopes as soldiers engaged rebels in a fight. They thought their world would end.

She laments that staying next to Lanyi barracks has come at a cost for the civilians. They have to contend with ethnic divisions that fuel violence, and escaping from it is difficult.

“I wish you understood what I am trying to tell you so that you could help me to describe it. These conflicts have divided people along tribal lines, ” She stressed.

“Once you decide to move away, you are called rebels.”

According to Simon, whenever an attack is launched by the rebels, the soldiers take cover in civilians’ houses instead of evacuating them.

“We’re always ready. Everyone used to watch how the army moves because they do not tell you when something is going to happen. You only see them when they are taking cover, ” she explains.

Aja Tu’buwa, a 47-year-old woman who also lives near the Lui army barracks, says running up and down every day and night was something she and her family members experienced throughout last year.

Tu’buwa reveals she was enjoying a “happy life” before the 2016 conflicts. By then, she stayed near army barracks in Yei and Maridi. She recalls that by then, the soldiers lived up to their expectations: being the people’s protectors. But this role has changed.

“This war has changed our soldiers’ roles from being civilian protectors to enemies. They can’t any more protect citizens than they protect themselves, so as a result, civilians become first enemies. “

According to the 47-year-old, all the barracks established in civilians’ residences during the 2016 war have led to the loss of many lives of innocent civilians who die at the hands of soldiers.

Protector to adversary

“What I witnessed here are two things that normally happen to us who are leaving around the barracks: whenever they are attacked, people are killed in crossfire, and if not in the crossfire, but soldiers are killed, they turn their hunger on civilians,” Aja explained.

“This means if civilians are not killed in crossfire, they will be killed by those who take their hunger to civilians, especially when they know that some people from your communities are among the rebels.”

She reveals that her husband and five underage children spent almost a week sleeping at home when they had a word that rebels were coming to attack the barracks near them, and they were not allowed to leave.

“Even when relative peace has come, one always feels hopeless with some behaviour of soldiers. Of course, when they drink alcohol, they scare people with their guns, but that is not the worst thing,” Aja explains.

She says: “sometimes when the soldiers start shooting, only prayers help us, but sometimes one ends up saying the usual word “Amen” just because one feels like it was the last prayer.”

“So, everyone always starts breathing hard, guns go quiet, but panic comes over everyone within minutes or hours.”

Apart from these, the barracks have hit the headlines for the reasons, with cases of deadly shoot-outs being reported among soldiers.

In December 2021, there were two separate incidents in Lui and Lanyi barracks, where two soldiers and a married couple were shot dead.

The incident happened after two soldiers from the South Sudan People Defence Force (SSPDF) were shot dead at Lanyi, Lozoh Payam, in Mundri East County, Western Equatoria State (WES) by a colleague.

According to the information, both Lui and Lanyi barracks are established within the residential areas.