Abdelbagi warns Tonj chiefs against harbouring criminals

The Vice President for Service Delivery Cluster, Hussein Abdelbagi Akol, has warned chiefs in Tonj against shielding criminals.

In a video shared by his office, Abdelbagi noted that the government would take action against any chief who hid any criminal after the signing of the peace pact.

“With this document you have signed, if a chief has signed this document and later on defends a criminal, we are going to start administering justice with that chief,” he warned.

He advised the people of Greater Tonj to stop divisive politics and live in peace and harmony for the successful development of their states.

On Monday last week, the Greater Tonj authorities convened a five-day peace conference geared towards solving insecurity in the area.

According to a report from Radio Tamazuj, the conference attracted over 1,000 delegates to highlight prospects for peacebuilding, trust-building, and the restoration of confidence among the communities.

The conference resolved that armed forces should be deployed at the borders of Western Bahr el Ghazal, Unity and Lakes States to facilitate the collection of light arms from civilians, among others.

Kiir admires reconciliation

On Tuesday, during the opening ceremony of the Greater Tonj communities’ peace conference, the Presidential Press Secretary, Ateny Wek Ateny, said President Salva Kiir Mayardit, asked for the communities of Tonj East, Tonj North and Tonj South counties to reconcile, saying that disputes in the President’s home region were being felt as disgraceful to him.

“The President told me to tell you that you have disappointed him in power. As you all know, he belongs to a state where violence continues day and night,” Wek told delegates.

“The message he (Kiir) told me to tell you is that you have to accept the outcome of the conference and reconcile to bring lasting peace.”