UNMISS Force Commander chats with SSPDF members in Lasu
A delegation comprising the Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, UNMISS, and the Indian Ambassador to South Sudan paid a visit to Lasu, a town located in Otogo County in the Yei River area, to understand firsthand the challenges facing the local population so they can work together to address them.
The visit came in the wake of increased rates of killings, robberies and torching of vehicles along the Yei-Lasu road in the past few months – incidents which have resulted in the death of four civilians and left many others injured.
“What you see here in Lasu town is not what is in the villages around. We are living like prisoners. My family and I eat or drink only enough to survive. I hope peace will be restored soon,” said Alisha Lubari, Sub-chief of Goja area, when he met with the visiting delegation.
Located approximately 32 kilometers west of Yei town, Lasu has become the epicenter of clashes between the South Sudanese army and forces loyal to the main holdout group under Thomas Cirillo, the National Salvation Front/Army. Civilians are often caught up in these clashes, forcing them to flee their homes for their dear lives. The unfortunate ones never make it.
Erratic calm has returned to the town now, as pressure mounts for both signatories and non-signatories to the September 2018 peace accord to cease all hostilities.
Although a handful of civilians within the restive town are seen cultivating farms, with children going to school and healthcare centres reopening, many residents fear that the relative calm might be a short lull before a heavy storm, especially if the unity government, expected to be formed by 12 November this year, is either delayed or is not formed in an all-inclusive and transparent manner.
Sub-chief Alisha Lubari said the parties to the peace deal should consider the plight of the people of South Sudan who have never had a break from conflict:
“Realization of peace does not only mean the silencing of guns, but a definitive ability of key stakeholders to provide basic services of life such as healthcare, security, education, food security, and freedom of movement,” Mr. Lubari counselled.
Yei-Lasu road is seen as the lifeline of Yei town, as it connects the town to once bustling and lucrative rural markets of Morsak, Umbaci, Mitika and Lasu, which have reopened recently.
UNMISS Force Commander, Brigadier General Shailesh Tinaikar said that the Mission was alive to the challenges facing the population along the trade route, and that the peacekeepers would not sit back idly and watch.
“It is very saddening to see once densely populated villages left vacant, as their residents flee violence to become refugees or internally displaced, either because they are left in limbo about new prospects of peace or are simply unsure of their security at home,” Mr. Tinaikar said.
He then revealed that peacekeepers in the area had stepped up their patrols to improve security by deterring crime along the route, to help build confidence in civilians so they can return to their villages.
He also shared the UN Mission’s plea with the people of Lasu:
“Our appeal – as UNMISS – is that the government be formed as soon as possible, with the non-signatories on board, because the more the peace process drags on, the more people feel insecure and the worse for the country.”
The Indian Ambassador to South Sudan, S.D. Murty, said the ongoing conflict was discouraging donors from giving more development aid to South Sudan.