VP Hussein admits politicians in Juba fueling Tambura violence for ‘their own interests’

JUBA – South Sudan’s Vice-President for Service Delivery Cluster Hussein Abdelbaggi has admitted that politicians in South Sudan’s capital Juba are behind the ongoing violence in the country’s Western Equatoria state’s Tambura County urging residents in the state to boycott the politicians.

Since earlier this year, the United Nations has been accusing politicians in South Sudan of fueling sub-national violence including the ongoing violence between ethnic communities in Tambura, Jonglei, Lakes and Warrap states. But the government has dismissed the UN findings saying the violence in the states has nothing to do with the politicians in Juba.

However, speaking during a visit to Ibba County on Wednesday, Hussein admitted that the politicians in Juba are behind the violence in Tambura that has displaced around 80,000 people and has killed unknown number of civilians.

“Please do not listen to those politicians in Juba who might be fueling conflicts here. They will use you for their own interests and this is what we don’t want,” Hussein who was accompanied by the SPLM-IO-nominated governor of Western Equatoria Alfred Futuyo said.

“Your situation here is better than those who ran away from this country to seek refuge. If we continue to fight and flee, this country will be taken by foreigners,” he added.

For his part, Governor Futuyo accused unnamed politicians from the state of standing behind the killing and violence that has been ongoing in Tambura County of Western Equatoria state for months.

“The politicians are mobilizing people in Juba to come and kill innocent people just because of this one seat of governorship, why don’t you just wait for your chance. Politicians in Juba armed civilians with guns and sent them here to kill people here in our state,” he said.

“And if the national government asks them of what is happening, they will go to the president and claim that the governor is killing people. We don’t kill people and if somebody kills some and we manage to arrest them, the following day they airlift the person to Juba,” he added.