South Sudanese: Civilians’ lives matter regardless of ethnicity
By Ngor Jameson Panchol, Juba, South Sudan
October 14, 2016 (SSB) — Civilians are covered by international humanitarian laws as a non-partisan to any part of belligerents and therefore the shouldn’t be victimised basing on ethnicities by all groups either SPLM-IO/A, SPLM-IG/A, Arrows boys, Agwelek Shiluk militias, cobra faction, and other insurgent groups within Equatoria not to exercise horrible killings of civilians which is inhumane act and it should be condemn and treated as criminal offend by those indulged themselves of committing atrocious.
Highway killings of Dinka /Jieng along the roads leading to Juba is outrageous and real disheartening for Equatoria militiamen to act in malicious tendency by targeting Dinkas. It’s barbaric act to killed civilians due to their belonging and it has been old phenomenal of Equatoria militiamen since 1980-1983 Kokora, 1990s insurgency group name themselves Equatoria people Defence force (EPDFF) emerge against Dinka, 2006-2009 highway targeting of Dinka civilians arise which was sponsored by some government officials and armed generals now serving in Bilpam and finally 2014-2016 new militias in Equatoria land .
This seemed not a rebellion but an act of revenge and hatreds. However Equatoria militiamen claimed Dinka dominance as a first priority, land grabbing by Dinka, and Equatoria farmers disputes with Dinkas pastoralists seen to be the root causes of all these terror act against Dinka.
Killings by SPLA in western Equatoria, some part of Eastern Equatoria and central Equatoria it’s not amount to killed unarmed civilians because of their belonging ,and instead of fighting against the Juba government. However revenged killings of some Dinka soldiers within the Greater Equatoria land of being accused of harboring militias in which they have no options to leave their own homeland for militiamen.
It’s over there, that villagers in war zone are ever victimised but not to kill or cleansing the population around the area because living with insurgent but because of situation that compelled them due to the control by militias groups. Atrocities committed by both parties are unacceptable, especially killings non-combatants like killer of women, children, elders, and transferring children from one group to other, is an act of genocide.
Examples are Wonduruba, Maridi, Yei, Juba 2013, Bentiu, Malakal, Jonglei, and others road incidences alongside Yei -Juba road, Nimule -Juba road, and Torit – Juba road are an act of barbaric kind of warfare. Regime should intervene and start early warning policy to halt the plans by the groups that have an intentions to carrying out ethnic cleansing.
In conclusion, the government need to assure the public on their position about the genocide in the country that is alarming through these brutalised execution of civilians. Masses need to be address in order not to result in heinous killings .
Target assault on Dinka/Jieng within Equatorians militias should be discourage from extermination of civilians due to their ethnicities and adopt the laws of warfare that deal with the combatants.
However SPLA need also to respect the civilians from Equatoria not to attack them basing on tribes especially the killings that had happened in Equatoria land because of accusations of harboring militias.
Allow me to register my condolences to the families of victims from Equatoria region, Upper Nile and Bar El Ghazel with the enthusiastic condemnation that such humiliated heinous killings should immediately cease and the civilians’ lives should be respected.
You can reach me via my email: pancholngor@yahoo.com
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