According to a statement from the Office of the President, the briefing was part of a broader national security review.
Lobong, the longest-serving Governor Eastern Equatoria has ever known, reported that calm has returned to Kapoeta town after the late September attack in which armed men stormed an NSS installation, killing five officers and injuring nine others.
“The state is peaceful after last month’s outbreak of violence in Kapoeta where criminals had fired at a government office,” Lobong said during the meeting.
He added that the people of Eastern Equatoria “have condemned the attack and vowed to stop such acts of lawlessness from occurring again,” emphasizing that local communities are now working together to sustain peace and stability.
The September 25 assault, which occurred around 4 a.m., was later claimed by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO). Its spokesperson, Lam Paul Gabriel, said the group’s fighters targeted the NSS base in response to alleged abuses by government forces, including looting, child abduction, and harassment of civilians.
Governor Lobong denounced the raid as an unprovoked act of violence and assured the President that state authorities have since tightened security to prevent further incidents. The meeting underscored the government’s commitment to consolidating peace and protecting civilians amid sporadic armed clashes in parts of the country.
Mr. Lobong also reported the daily influx of South Sudanese who are returning from Kakuma refugee camp in neighbouring Kenya. He called on the national government to assist in facilitating the safe and orderly return of the returnees to their respective home areas.
While voluntary returns from refugee camps have been on the rise, reintegration has been particularly a challenge for returnees, with insecurity driving the majority back to the camps.
