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A member of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) on Tuesday expressed concern over the silence of the executive and other security agencies over the recent spate of gun violence in Juba.
The incident follows a number of shootings in the city, the most recent of which occurred on Saturday night, when one person was reportedly shot dead and another injured at the Seventh Day roundabout.
In another incident, a police officer named Lieutenant Marial allegedly opened fire at a restaurant in the Sea Cinema, injuring about five people. The two incidents and another gunfight in the suburb of Sherikat-Gambo sparked panic.
NMD MP Bor Joseph Agau raised the issue in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, expressing disappointment at the silence of the police and national security services, and said the public needed to be informed about the security situation in Juba.
“Dear Speaker, last week and part of this week, the city of Juba was gripped by anxiety and people were living in fear,” he said. “There has been rampant killings and shootings in restaurants, leading to uncertainty in the situation, and the House has yet to demand to know the details of what is happening.”
According to the councillor, the shooting incident that occurred at the Seventh Day Roundabout a few days ago was very serious and caused public concern and anxiety.
“The shooting at the Seventh Day roundabout was so serious, it was like a real battalion-level war in a country that is at war. The executive and the TNLA Security Committee have been silent in reporting to the House what is happening in the country. There is a real economic crisis and the executive in this country is doing nothing about it,” he charged. “This silence shows that the executive has failed to do the right thing. All civil servants have not been paid for ten months. The insecurity in this town, let alone the rest of the country, is alarming. We need to know from the Security Committee and the various security agencies what is really happening in the country.”
Agao said citizens have the right to know the motives of unidentified gunmen in the unprovoked killing of civilians in Juba.
“Why are people committing suicide in the city and there is no explanation from the security agencies? You will find that the Ministry of Defence is publicly releasing information while the police and the National Security are present,” he said. “The Ministry of Defence/SSPDF spokesperson General Lul Rai Koang has been telling people what is happening and we don’t have to listen to the Ministry of Defence. We need to listen to the National Security Service. We need to listen to the police. The Inspector General of Police and the Minister of Interior should tell the country what is killing people.”
However, the First Deputy Speaker, Nathaniel Oyet Perino, blamed the high crime rate in Juba on the economic situation which has led to frustration among citizens and the parliament will summon the ministers concerned.
“The increase in crime in towns and villages is all related to the plight of our citizens,” he said. “I have instructed my legal adviser to pursue the resolution or summon the minister concerned.”
Oyet added: “I followed the media the other day and saw that the budget has been submitted to the Council of Ministers and I think they will adopt it and it may come with some package to salvage the situation.”
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