Report credits Mabor for securing Lakes State

A surveillance report released on Friday by Peace Organization (PAX) has revealed that security has immensely improved in Greater Yirol, Lakes State, since the appointment of Governor Rin Tueny Mabor.

 However, the report said cattle raids remain the biggest security challenge.

According to the survey mapping duration from Quarter 3 to Quarter 4, conducted in 2021 by an expert panel monitor, all the local security experts claimed that the general security situation across Greater Yirol and Awerial County improved in the second half of 202. This is attributed to the improved security situation after the appointment of the new Lakes State governor in mid-2021. Mabor is credited with enforcing law and order.

It stated that the expansion and presence of ‘organized forces’ across the counties, coupled with the positive impact of the 2018 local peace agreements in Yirol, Payinjiar, and Rumbek, contributed to the peace.

The survey notes that although the frequency of communal violence like cattle raids and road ambushes had dropped, instances of cattle rustling in Terekeka and Payinjiar were still reported in 2021.

“These incidents have the potential for revenge, thereby setting back the local peace agreement with neighbouring communities. Prevention of violence by armed youth, therefore, continues to be a challenge,” it stated.

 Besides keeping inter-communal peace, the biggest challenge mentioned by the experts was conducting peaceful communal disarmament among armed cattle keepers, attempts of which are reportedly underway in Yirol West and Yirol East counties.

 The Human Security Survey collects the security perspectives of local community members through randomised household surveys on an annual basis. To supplement the findings, PAX developed the Expert Panel Monitor to closely and timely monitor the local security situation by interviewing a fixed group of experts twice a year. The interview was about general local security dynamics, as well as developments on several previously identified community security issues.

In December 2021, a PAX interviewer conducted 12 individual interviews (2 women) with local security experts in Lakes State.

This group of experts included local government officials such as commissioners, paramount chiefs, police, court officials, women leaders and religious leaders. These experts were equally distributed among the counties of Yirol West, Yirol East and Awerial in Lakes State.