The group submitted a formal petition on Monday to Speaker Deng Deng Akon, highlighting alarming human rights violations, including targeted killings, arson, and widespread destruction of property

By Emmanuel Mandella

A delegation representing the Balanda community of Western Equatoria State has appealed to the Council of States for urgent intervention to halt escalating intercommunal violence that threatens to spiral in the region.

The group submitted a formal petition on Monday to Speaker Deng Deng Akon, highlighting alarming human rights violations, including targeted killings, arson, and widespread destruction of property.

“People are sleeping in the bushes; we are being hunted down,” lamented Chief Katediwe Andrea Tartisio, who led the delegation. “This conflict has been ongoing, but it has reached a dangerous level. The national government must step in before it’s too late.”

The violence, which intensified after the removal of former Governor Alfred Futuyo, centers around the Kubri-Bou area, an SPLM-IO containment site. Accusations have emerged implicating a leading national army officer in orchestrating attacks using government ammunition, raising fears of military involvement.

“Twenty homes were burned just yesterday,” Chief Tartisio added. “From Nagero to Yambio, Balanda people are under attack even those working within the state government. This is systematic and targeted.”

In a chilling warning, Arkangelo Kanayo, Member of Parliament for Nagero County, claimed that the situation was deepening into a ‘genocide’.

“The government must protect its citizens. If this continues unchecked, we may witness a genocide in Western Equatoria,” Kanayo cautioned.

Responding to the petition, Speaker Deng Deng Akon assured the delegation that the Council of States would conduct a thorough legal review. He pledged to coordinate with key government offices, including that of First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar and Vice President for the Service Cluster, Josephine Lagu.

“We take these allegations seriously,” Akon said. “The Council will study the petition and work closely with relevant institutions to find a lasting solution.”

In an interview with Radio Miraya over the weekend, Hon. Puot Kang Chol, a senior member of the SPLM-IO and the Minister for Petroleum, warned that the ongoing conflicts in Western Equatoria and Upper Nile states could jeopardize the country’s peace process.

“What is happening today in Western Equatoria, Upper Nile, and Nasir could undermine the whole process,” he said, pointing to the events of 2016, which, according him escalated from localized clashes.

The continuing unrest in Western Equatoria State poses significant risks to civilian safety and national stability. With rising calls for swift government action, all eyes are now on Juba to prevent the region from plunging deeper into conflict.