Lobong vows to maintain security in state
Eastern Equatoria State Governor Louis Lobong Lojore has committed to working with all the stakeholders to maintain security in the area.
In a press statement released yesterday by the office of the governor, Lobong called for a joint effort to build stable peace and prosperous Eastern Equatoria State.
“As the Governor of the State, I will strive to work with all the stakeholders to strengthen local government which is the custodian of law and order in the State so that there is stability,” Lobong said.
He was speaking during the opening of the first-ever county commissioners’ forum organised by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.
Lobong urged the delegates to the forum to come up with recommendations on how to improve security and services delivery in the state.
On his part, the Head of United Nations Mission in South Sudan from the Torit office, Anthony Mwapa, said they are looking forward to engaging with the local government to build sustainable peace within the communities.
The Eastern Equatoria State Commissioner’s Forum is to institutionalise a legitimate venue for officials to discuss counties- specific issues and work on plausible solutions that can be implemented by people at the grassroots through local resources. This initiative comes ahead of the Governor’s Forum to be held in Juba in two weeks, according to Mwapa.
Operations
In August this year, Governor Lojore personally led a group of forces in search of suspected criminals terrorising travellers along Kapoeta – Ngauro Road.
This came up after some perpetrators ambushed a passenger vehicle and killed five people at Lokaburu River, about 10 kilometres from Ngauro Payam of Budi County, hence the governor launch a search against criminals.
Lobong had initially visited the area and ordered security forces to track down the attackers before getting physically involved in the search operation. Authorities in the State have tagged the Kapoeta – Ngauro road a launchpad of attacks against travellers.
In June 2020, six people were killed, and their bodies burned to ashes when armed men ambushed a commercial vehicle along the Ngauro-Kapoeta road.
Two months later, unknown assailants murdered five local gold miners in Kapoeta South County in Nakwasigirya, which is located about 30 kilometres south of Kapoeta town.
The Toposa community has accused a neighbouring community of carrying out the attack, allegedly in retaliation for a previous attack, an allegation the said community denied.
