September 15, 2016(Nyamilepedia) ——A serious fighting between UNMISS Police and IDPs Watch Groups at Tongpiny Site broke out today as early as 8:30 am as the result of demolishing the IDPs houses by the UNMISS police force, an eye who identified himself as Simon Ngut Kun inside Tongpiny camp has informed Nyamilepedia news desk.
The head of UNMISS police force guarding the PoCs Tongpiny site ordered the demolishing of IDPs house without informing them, forces N4, a community watch group inside the camp to clash with UNMISS police. N4 is the vigilante group consisting of four sections of Nuer (western Nuer, Lou Nuer, eastern Jikany Nuer, and Gawar and Lak Nuer). N4 was formed by the IDPs to solve the problems that arise among the IDPs, it intervenes by solving problems through Nuer customary laws which yielded fruitful results.
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The order by the UNMISS police’s head to demolish houses for unspecified reasons didn’t go down well with the community, resulting into violence in which a number of women and children were seriously injured.
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James Zoal Pekhoa, new chairman of IDPs at PoCs Tongpiny, has written to the head of UN Police addressing the concerns of the community and the way forward. He says women have been sexually harassed by UN police at the gate for check in.
“The IDPs, especially women are not happy with the way warrior security personnel are treating them at the gate. Their dignity and integrity have been abused. Warriors checked them up to their private parts. This is an abuse and we request that it has to be stopped. A shelter should be established where women are privately checked, not to be checked in front of their children in open air,” reads part of James Zoal’s letter sent to Nyamilepedia.
He also assured the UN police that he is committed, as new IDPs chair, contain thievery by instructing N4 to be more vigilant. Zoal thanks UNMISS and Human Rights agencies for protecting the IDPs since the war started in 2013.
“On behalf of IDPs living in Temporary PoC – Tongpiny, I am grateful to thank UNMISSand other Human Rights based organizations for standing with us during the trying times when the war broke out in Juba. If it were not your goodwill and good hearts, most of the people who came here for safety would have lost their lives. Thank you very much for your kindness and true service to humanity,” he thankfully wrote to UN Police chief.
He says the time of opening and closure of gate at PoC-Tongpiny site must be changed. The gate closes from 10:00am to 4:00pm but the IDPs want it to be open from 7:00 am to 11:00 am and from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. This is because the women who have gone to the markets during the day to buy food in the afternoon will be able to come back at 2pm before the dark.
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