“I hope the Central Equatoria State government has responded by first condemning this activity and then responding practically by assessing the situation and beginning to appeal to humanitarian organizations to assist these people,” the South Sudanese Catholic Bishop says in the audio recording.
Morobo County that borders the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda has, in recent times, seen an influx of people fleeing violence.
“The situation in Morobo County is generally normal but there was recent rampant displacement, looting of goats, cows, harvested food produce, and house properties including the raping of two women,” Morobo County Commissioner, Joseph Mawa, has been quoted as saying.
In the October 6 RadioTamazuj report, Commissioner Mawa is further quoted as saying, “The recent displacements have caused panic and fear among the civil population in Kendila, Yayimba, Yondu, and Koroji villages.”
In his October 11 audio message, Bishop Lodiong says, “I am disappointed to hear that the situation in Morobo County is not good due to the displacement of the people by the men in uniform.”
The 51-year-old South Sudanese Catholic Bishop who started his Episcopal Ministry on May 15 adds, “I have followed some of the statements in the media but also from the people on the ground that the situation there is really very bad.”
The Local Ordinary of Yei Diocese continues, “The situation on the ground is not so good especially areas like Kandila, Nyondu, Nyori are the most affected by looting of the animals, chicken and other valuable items by the men in uniform in the Panyume cantonment area.”
“The section of the SPLA-IO there decided to go into the houses of the people robbing food, animals, chickens and even clothes,” he laments, and adds, “As a result people have now come to Morobo center because the situation in their places is really not good.”
The challenging situation of the people of God in Morobo County is something “we don’t want to keep quiet about”, he says, adding that it is the government’s “primary responsibility to begin seeing that people who are in this kind of situation should be responded to.”
“This is exactly what I have been saying all along because when we talk about peace, we have to talk about security; but these people now don’t have proper security,” the South Sudanese Bishop further laments in his audio recording shared with ACI Africa.
