JUBA – The Minister of Public Service and Human Resources Development Joseph Bakosoro has said the regional leaders of Western Equatoria are doing everything possible to solve the crisis in Tombura County.

Bakosoro fired back at the criticism with an assurance that the leaders were not just sleeping in Juba but were working hard to fix the persistent inter-communal armed conflict in the state.

“We are not just wasting time in Juba but we are trying to make sure the government listens to the voice of the communities affected by the [ongoing] violence,” Bakasoro told City Review in an interview yesterday.

He reiterated that they were trying their best to make sure the government listens and address the conflict in the area.

“As I talk to you we are just from our meeting as sons and daughters of Western Equatoria State who are in the government because we want peace to be restored in Tombura,” Bakasoro stated.

He was reacting to the concerns raised by some members of the affected communities who said their politicians at top positions in the national government were silent over the ongoing violence in Tombura County.

Humanitarian crisis escalates

About 28,000 people mainly women, children, and elderly were displaced to Yambio County since the start of the conflict in the area and they have been wondering as to why the government cannot come to their rescue.

Last week, fresh fighting broke out in the same area of Tombura County leaving 28 people including the former commissioner of Tombura County Babiro Charles Gbamisi dead and more than 2,000 people fled their homes to Yambio town and Ezo,  Nagero, and Nzara Counties.

Earlier, Edmund Yakani Executive Director for Community Empowerment for Progress Organization said the ongoing conflict in Tombura was politically motivated violence and it was an indicator that one particular armed community aimed to destroy the government structure in the area.

“Some of the political elite want to change Tombura with political objectives from political actors. They want to take power through violence,” Yakani told City Review.

“The 28 people who died in the violence were from communities that shows that there was a big problem. If this problem is not resolved by the government it will lead to genocide,” he added.

Yakani said since the start of the conflict there has never been intervention from the government to stop the bloodshed in Western Equatoria State.

He said some of the political elites were trying to push for the removal of the Governor of Western Equatoria State, Alfred Futuyo Karaba, through the use of violence.

This week, the Office of the First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar had requested resources to facilitate peace dialogue following a meeting that was held in July 2021 which resolved to hold the conference in Tombura to address the grievances of the communities.

Dr. Riek said the situation in Tombura needs collective responsibility from both national and state governments.

However, the Equatoria People Alliance [EAP] has condemned the killing of civilians in Tombura and held both state and national governments responsible for the bloodshed among the communities.

It urged the national government to intervene and save the lives of innocent people in Western Equatoria State.

‘‘EPA calls on all the people of Equatoria not to abandon Tombura to burn, bleed and descend into ash, it is time to rise to duty and obligation of care for Tombura, to stop Western Equatoria’s bleeding.

‘‘The freedom to possess and exercise political power by Equatorians over affairs of their existence and governance of its people, is now solely contingent upon the peoples of Equatoria.’’