Jonglei State, South Sudan
January 29, 2022—Authorities in Bor County of South Sudan’s Jonglei state are demanding for immediate deployment of the police to help in improving security situation as fear grips the Baidit area following raid over the weekend by gunmen from the Murle tribe.
At least 32 people were killed, 27 injured, 2, 500 cattle raided and several houses destroyed when gunmen, whom Bor officials suspected to have come from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA), attacked and overrun Baidit on Sunday evening but youth from Pibor on Wednesday denied the allegations.
Speaking to media, Yuot Alier, Bor County commissioner, said number of residents have been deserting the area for fear of attacks since Sunday.
“There are still people in the area but some have been leaving for Bor because youth who used to protect them have been killed,” Commissioner Alier told Media on Wednesday.
Alier called for the deployment of security apparatus to pacify the security situation in the area.
“We want the presence of police there to provide protection. We do not know the number of those who fled or whose houses have been burnt but if there is a way we need humanitarian support because all the livelihoods have been taken.” Alier added.
For his part, Chuol Rambang, the country’s head of Peace Commission blamed Baidit’s attack on the ineffectiveness of the security operatives.
“Had it not been because of lack of ready preparedness, it (the attack) would have been stopped. Our forces would have been at the site before the attack happened” Chuol Rambang said.
“One of our recommendations, we will encourage the government to put a contingent in one of the areas in the middle [at a place] known as Gadiang.”, Rambang said while addressing the conference in Juba on Wednesday.
Meanwhile , Joseph Mayen Akoon, the state police commissioner, admitted residents are living in fear following the attack; however, police are promising to restore calm.
“The Baidit incident has created panic in the locals. As the police we are trying to restore calm,” he lamented.
According to Akoon, they will deploy police forces to be based in Baidit adding that they will be there on a rotational basis to provide protection.
