[Juba, South Sudan, TCT]Villagers in Nesitu are expected to return to their homes and farms after land mines are cleared, following the UN Mine Action Service’s good performance in South Sudan recently. A 2.5 million dollar donation to the agency from the Government of Japan has aided this effort.
Speaking to media, the Sub Chief of the Nesitu area, Isaac Jada Timon, said communities are ready to return and settle once the demining process is complete.
“I am sure when these mines are cleared the people will come here. People have moved away a bit down from here and some far distances. People are not coming here because of landmines. If they are removed, people will come back and cultivate. And when they return, we want schools, we want hospitals and we want water so that the civilians can settle. They are ready except for the issue of land mines”, he expressed.
In related development, women in Western Equatoria have petitioned the state legislative assembly calling for action against attacks targeting civilians. The women representatives cited the latest incident in which two teenage boys were shot dead by unknown gunmen in Yambio town over the weekend.
Speaking to journalists in Yambio after presenting the petition, the chairperson of the Women’s General Union, Mrs. Christine Ngba-zande, said women are calling for the removal of the army from residential areas and want perpetrators of criminal acts to be brought to justice.
“We present this petition to draw the attention of the State Legislative Assembly to acts of violence and violations of the rights of women in particular, and citizens in general”, she explained.
The Speaker of Western Equatoria State Legislative Assembly, Mr. Paul Tambua, received the petition and condemned the criminal acts, and promising to bring the petition before the assembly for deliberation.
On 29th November, 2015 an armed men in a military uniform killed two boys, creating concern from all the leaders and representatives of women in the State. Investigations are still ongoing to ascertain the motive of killing these children. It seems that the presence of an army barracks in Yombia town has negatively affected development in the area, according to Tambua.
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