Activist welcomes court ruling on murders of Nimule chief

JUBA – South Sudan Activist Edmund Yakani has welcomed the decision by a local court in Eastern Equatoria state to sentence to death a man accused of killing Chief Ebele John of Nzara Boma in Nimule Payam in mid-July.

Chief Ebele was shot dead by a 24-year-old man on July 11 while chairing a community meeting meant to fundraise for burial of three community members killed by suspected Dinka Bor cattle herders a few days earlier.

While the killing of the chief sparked community outrage leading to demonstration, security forces moved in quickly to apprehend two men believed to be behind the killing and yesterday, the high court in Eastern Equatoria sentenced one of them to death by hanging and the other to 3 years in jail.

In a statement, Yakani who is also the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) welcomed the ruling and said similar crimes are unacceptable and urged the government to work in order to avoid them.

“CEPO welcomes the provision of justice and accountability on the criminal act that claimed the life of Chief John Ebele of Nzara Boma in Nimule Payam on 11 July 2022. The murder of the chief John Ebele is unacceptable act and deserves adequate provision of justice and accountability by the legal system of the country,” Yakani said in the statement extended to Sudans Post.

The outspoken activist thanked the judiciary and stressed that though the sentencing to death by hanging is inhuman, it is provided for in the laws of South Sudan for crimes such as the grim killing of the community chief.

“The court of law sentencing of the perpetrators by hanging to death and one perpetrator sentenced to 3 year’s imprisonment was clear demonstration of justice and accountability called for by many including CEPO, thanks to the leadership of the judiciary in South Sudan,” Yakani said.

“Though the punishment by the hanging to death is inhuman, is what the existing law requires or provided as penalty for murder crime,” he added.