South Sudan VP promises fair investigation into murder of Nimule chief

November 14, 2013 (NIMULE) – South Sudan’s vice-president, James Wani Igga, said on Wednesday that the government is investigating a number of suspects currently being held in connection to the killing of Nimule’s traditional head chief.

Eastern Equatoria state governor Luis Lobong Lojore (L) welcomes South Sudan VP James Wani Igga (C) andmMinister of cabinet affairs Martin Elia Lomoro (R) to Nimule on 13 November 2013 (ST)

“There is nobody who is above the law”, Igga told a public rally at Nimule’s St Patrick Primary School.

The vice-president Igga was responding to accusations levelled against the government during the rally by Ma’adi tribal representatives, including women, youths and elders.

Head chief George Ajogo Levia was shot dead on September 8 while returning to his home east of Nimule town.

His death came at a time Nimule was upgraded to a town council by the government of Eastern Equatoria state.

Some members of the community had resisted the state assembly’s decision which had also been backed by Eastern Equatoria governor Luis Lobong Lojore. Torit and Kapeata were also made into town councils.

The suspects detained in connection to the death of chief reportedly include Ma’adi traditional leader Angelo Vuga Morgan, known locally as Lopirigo, as well as six others.

Igga stressed that those found to be involved in the chief’s death would face the full force of the law.

“If they are found to be innocent, they will be released but if they are found to have contributed to the death of the chief, then there is something called [the] ‘rule of law’ in English and that means nobody is above the law,” Igga said, causing murmurs amongst the crowd that listened to his speech as dusk approached.

South Sudan’s interior minister Aleu Ayieny Aleu and cabinet affairs minister Martin Elia Lomoro accompanied the vice-president on the visit. The team from Juba was also joined by governor Lojore.

Igga return to Juba on Thursday after encouraging Eastern Equatoria’s many ethnic embrace peace, love and unity in order to promote the overall developmental of South Sudan.

South Sudanese children, he said while addressing thousands of members of the Madi community in Magwi county, will not be able to receive a good education and health services if there is insecurity.

Wani cautioned South Sudanese citizens from becoming dependent on imported food from neighbouring countries and advised people to embrace food production to avert any food shortages.

The vice president urged all of South Sudan’s communities to respect cultural diversity.

Eastern Equatoria’s governor, Louis Lobong Lojore, was forced to respond to a complaint raised by the Madi community about insecurity situation in Nimule town.

In his response he told the crowd that the two decade civil war between the Khartoum government at the SPLM - the former rebel group who now govern the nascent nation - was fought to bring peace, development and unity to South Sudan.

At the same occasion, South Sudan’s minister for cabinet affairs Martin Elias Lomoro said that nationalism is the only way to build the country - which only became independent from Sudan in July 2011 - was for the young republic’s citizens to become ambassadors of peace in their respective areas.

He encourages all South Sudanese to live in peace with their neighbours and respect South Sudan’s diverse cultures.

Rebellions, cattle raiding and disputes over land have soured relations between communities in some areas of South Sudan since independence as the country battles to create a new national identity.

(ST)