Jonglei Watch: Rising Crime Rates in Bor
4 min readBy Malith Alier, Juba, South Sudan
October 2, 2015 (SSB) — Nothing good comes out of Jonglei State these days. State Governors had been replaced but hardly any real change on the ground. The state had seen two governors and two Commissioners of Bor County where the seat of the State government is located go.
Jonglei State is infested with crime in the past and now. The most prevalent crimes are; property robbery, child abduction, displacement, crimes against humanity and human rights violations. These crimes are meted out by various groups or individuals in the state.
The crimes against humanity are very common in the state. Many counties are abandoned and their inhabitants are now in the camps in and outside the state. The people who are back in town of Bor are under constant terror at night. On many occasions citizens of Bor city are dragged out of their shelters shot dead by the criminals. This is a fact known by everybody in town except the outside of Bor.
These happen whilst the government in charge since 2013 is busy with other issues often self-serving issues. The fact remains that it is not a government of the people. It is a bunch of individuals imposed on the citizens by a self appointed clique currently in the central government in Juba.
The government in Bor does not go out to talk to the people on issues that matter to them. One of the reasons why it is difficult to do so is that they are out of touch with reality. They’re aware that they have nothing to lose because any time they can be kicked out of the state to go and make a living elsewhere. In particular are the people of Greater Pibor who are like tethered goats which just ruminate unknowing of the fate. They no longer had allegiance and trust of the people remaining in Jonglei.
How we will tolerate these folks is anyone’s guess. The government in Juba which divided Jonglei in May 2014 is not listening to remove these unwanted brutes. They’re not even there to tell us whether reunification of Jonglei is possible at the time when CPA II is signed incorporating federal dispensation.
The people of greater Akobo are up in arms as they are empowered by the secession of GPAA. Everybody is for secession or self-rule.
The nasty thing about Jonglei government is that, it cannot even act to separate Bor County from Bor Municipality. The Mayor and the County Commissioner are at each other’s throat over land jurisdiction. This happens while the whole state government in its three arms watch agape. The City Mayor and the Commissioner have one thing in common; both are ruling without appointed or elected councillors. This seeming little issue but very important to both institutions.
The local government is made in such a way that it functions like central government with executive, legislature and judiciary. If the State County Commissioners and the City Mayors are there without legislative councils then they are autocratic leaders. Without supervisory institutions they are likely going to abuse their powers with impunity. These means that they are the sole controllers of budget, spending and subsequent reporting. The consequences of this negligence are mammoth.
The countdown to the CPA II implementation is the only salvation to the state of affairs in South Sudan in general and Jonglei State in particular. The pre-interim period is just half way and at the end of it is the shake in that state where the State cabinet will be up in percentages.
SPLM-IO has 40%, GRSS has 46% and other parties including Former Detainees have the rest. May be the government will appoint a different governor to the relief of all.
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