Nov 11, 2020(Nyamilepedia) — The Internally Displaced Persons in Malakal are calling on the government to appoint a governor to the Upper Nile State saying that lack of a governor is the reason for targeted killing in the area.
According to their slogans, they are calling for Lt. Gen. Johnson Olony to be appointed as the governor of Upper Nile State saying it is President Kiir who is responsible for the conflicts in South Sudan and the individuals he accuses.
Sebi Khamis, a Community leader in Malakal, said that these IDPs held a protest to demand an urgent appointment of a governor as that is the only solution to the insecurity happening in the area.
“We are demanding and calling for urgent appointment of the Upper Nile governor, because due to the absence of the governor that is why all these insecurities happened in Malakal,” said Sebit Khamis, community leader.
The IDPs also demanded for the graduation and the deployment of the unified forces to take over security of Malakal.
“We are demanding the government to reconstitute the state assembly and we are also asking for graduation and deployment of unified forces within and around Malakal to take over the security of the state,” Khamis added.
According to the IDPs, two prominent people, Brig.-Gen. Arop Okew of the SSPDF and peace activist Juliano Ambrose were killed in cold blood by gunmen in Malakal town on Thursday while returning from the market.
Two months ago, a public prosecutor was also shot and killed in the market.
In addition, local chiefs and other traditional leaders were also battered by young people while going to attend a land dispute meeting near Malakal airport.
There are reports that President Salva Kiir is set to announce the appointment of a governor of Upper Nile state in the near future although there have been back and forth between the government and the SPLM-IO leaders.
