Kakwa Leaders Wants Probe Report On Claims Of Supporting M23 Rebels In Congo Released

A section of the Kakwa community leaders during the conference in Yei. [Petia Suliman Loro]During a community dialogue conference held in Yei, the delegates at the conference firmly came with the resolution that the Kakwa community are loyal citizens of South Sudan and will not allow its territory to support or launch any rebellion.

The delegates said the Kakwa community are not happy with the blanket allegations against the entire Kakwa community that they are supporting M23 rebels, adding the Kakwa community needs the instituted fact finding committee to reveal the report in order to clear the victims and the entire community’s name.

According to the resolution, the Kakwa community is not well informed and convinced about the reason as to why their chiefs and elders were arrested in April, saying the persons behind the arrests should be brought to book.

Since the arrests in April, the relationship between some of the Kakwa elders, community members, politicians, and the Yei River County authority has been tense.

Some of the Kakwa politicians allegedly accused the commissioner of Yei River County who is the chairman of security committee Juma David Augustine as being a person behind the arrests but the commissioner said he was innocent about the arrest of the community leaders.

He added the arrest of the community chairperson, chiefs and a former politician by the security intelligence was an order from the Government of Central Equatoria State in which he was not informed as together with his counterpart the commissioner of Morobo County and some officials from Koboko District in Uganda were preparing for an investment trip to Italy.

The delegates also resolved that the Kakwa Community leaders are custodians of land and to manage the land with care on behalf of the Kakwa community adding the community leaders in consultation with the Land Lords are to register their community Land in line with the Local Government Policy and Land Act 2009.

To safeguard the Land resources, the community leaders are encouraged to form Payam and Boma Land Boards as per the Land Act 2009.

The resolution also stated that lands, plots and Yei County assets Grabbed by individuals within Yei Town Municipality should be returned to the rightful owners.

Kakwa communities are also being encouraged to improve in the area of agriculture through mechanized farming to address poverty amongst the Kakwa people.

Illegal mining of mineral and forest resources across Kakwa territories are to be protected by the authorities in Yei River County, Morobo County, Kupera Payam in Lainya County and the Kakwa Community.

The resolution also agitates for all Kakwa positive cultural values to be revived, developed, documented and propagated through education and the formation of Kakwa elders’ council to strategize on promotion and protection of Kakwa cultures, holding cultural festivals annually and developing Kakwa literatures and dictionary which are to be taught in the lower Primary schools.

The signed resolution also indicated that the initiative of the creation of new administrative structures by the government in the Kakwa areas should be done with the consultation of the Kakwa community leaders and intellectuals.

The community welcomed the establishment of Yei town Municipality which included the whole of Yei town payam, although it was done without the consultation of the Kakwa, the delegates are requesting the initial implementation of the Yei Town Municipality to start with Yei town Boma and any extension should be done with the consent of Yei community leaders adding there should be a clear cut line between the administration of the Yei town Municipality and Yei River County Authority.

The Delegates also said the administrative divisions in the County should not weaken and divide Kakwa community.

The Delegates also tasked the Central Equatoria State Government to declare the results of the two fact finding committees on the border disputes between Yei and Lianya (Koya), Lasu and Tore (Tokori Boma), Kupera and KajoKeji (river Lokito’bokon 56 miles), Yei and Kaliko and adding that in case the two committees’ findings are not revealed to the Kakwa community, the Kakwa MPs in the State Parliaments should follow up the issues and if it failed, the Kakwa MPs at the State level should forward the border issues to the National Legislative Assembly.

The delegates have tasked the Kakwa elders and the Land Lords to resolve Land disputes amongst the Kakwa within 90 days.

According to the resolution, the Kakwa community is above their political parties’ affiliations, the community resolved not to use their political differences to divide the community adding any political party member should not de-campaign against any other party member within the Kakwa community but rather present his/her program to win community’s support.

The Kakwa members within the different political parties should work together for the interest of Kakwa community and carry out reconciliation processes through dialogue in order to cement the Kakwa community social fabric which is very important in order for the community to strategize on social, economic and political issues.

The conference reunited the community politicians, community members, elders, Authority of Yei River County, Central Equatoria State and the National Government.

The resolution was signed by Chairman Kakwa Community Yei Thomas Wani Lo’ba’dinya , Chairman Kakwa Community Juba Paul Yoane Bonju, Chairman Kakwa Community Khartoum Sudan Simon Sebit Edward, Representative of Kakwa from Morobo County John Abe Frazer and Representative of Kakwa from Kupera Community Lainya County Edward Lugala Matayo.