Pagan, Cirilo, Malong and Ajawin hold Kiir responsible for Upper Nile violence

JUBA – South Sudan’s holdout opposition alliance, the National Consensus Forum (NCF), has condemned the ongoing conflict in Upper Nile state and said it holds President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s government responsible for the ethnic violence that has resulted in the killing of hundreds of innocent civilians in the oil-rich state.

Armed youth from neighboring Jonglei State had crossed the Nile and have been roaming in several parts of the Shilluk Kingdom in Upper Nile state killing and displacing civilians with a local government official earlier this month putting the death toll at 3000 civilians, a claim that Sudans Post could not immediately verify.

In a statement, the NCF condemned the violence and called on the armed civilians as well as everyone involved to immediately cease the carnage which it said is being engineered by the central government in Juba and those of the states of Upper Nile and Jonglei.

“NCF condemns in the strongest terms possible, the unnecessary loss of lives of innocent citizens. We call on the armed civilians, the militia, and all involved in the killing spree to stop what they are doing immediately,” the group said in the statement extended to Sudans Post.

“It is not in our national interest as one people, to wage manipulated inter-communal violence against each other at the behest of the government or rogue elements in the government. We need each other now and will always need each other to save our country from disintegration and total collapse,” the statement added.

The statement further appealed “to all peace-loving people of South Sudan to avoid falling into such traps of the instigation of the blood thirsty corrupt, Juba, Bor and Malakal authorities. All the citizens of South Sudan who respect and cherish basic human rights, cannot follow the destructive policies of a dying regime. We also appeal to humanitarian organizations in the region to step in and assist the displaced with whatever possible food, non-food items, medicines, and protection.”

The group that comprises Real SPLM under Gen. Pagan Amum, NAS under Gen. Thomas Cirilo Swaka, SSUF/A under Gen. Paul Malong Awan, and NDM faction under Emmanuel Ajawin says it hold Kiir’s government responsible for the violence and urged community and religious leaders to initiate dialogue to prevent the situation from spiraling out of hand more than it is currently.

“Similarly, we hold accountable both the state and national authorities and leaders in failing in their primary duty of protecting their own citizens. The NCF believes in the peaceful co-existence of all South Sudanese Communities. Therefore, we would like to urge and encourage all the Faith-based Leaders, Community Leaders, and elders to immediately initiate Dialogue and Reconciliation in all the affected areas,” the statement said.