This morning, the residents of Akuac Residential area had been awoken by the booming of bulldozers and excavators to demolish more houses in the alleged school land. In response to this, the residents pleaded for negotiations with the authorities but the officer in charge of demolition exercise, certain Capt. Michael Panachuol Achol told the residents he had no mandate to negotiate with them citing the orders from the Hon. Governor of Lakes State, Hon. Rin Tueny Mabor. As the bulldozers moved to the buildings, the citizens reacted to throw stones at the bulldozers and they were met with heavy gun fire. Sporadic and indiscrimnate shooting at the citizens erupted with live bullets resulting to the death of four (04) citizens and critical injuries of three residents of Akuac Residential area and dozen including Maj. Gen. Kamis Angui had been arrested for resisiting the demolition exercise in the area. The deads had been collected and taken to unknown place. According to a source on anonymity, he said the area had only been targeted for demolition because the Governor and his allies are alleged to have identified the area to be of his opposition and therefore, used his to power to annexe it to the school land which was not even in the survey of the Old Sudan. More soldiers and armour tanks are marauding the area. Thousands of residents have have been displaced. Women and children are among the victims of massive demolition in Rumbek Town.
According to the residents, they said the claimed area had never been alloted to senior secomdary school since time immomerial. What is happening is a new allotment but a claim of the land as purported by the Governor of Lakes State. Even if it is a policy, the residents should have been made aware of the demolition and to discuss on how to relocate and compensation than to move in with bulldozers and we have children and the vulnerable people. What can we do with our families? Most of the people evicted and whose houses demolished were veterans who fought the war of liberation struggle and those were their only investment. Is this Government not belonging to the people? Have Presient Salva Kiir Mayardit forgotten us despite the fact that we fought the war of liberation with him for 21 years? Is the Government not aware that it is almost the rainy seasons?
We are calling upon the national government and the international community to keep watch at Lakes State. It is the rule of man that is being used in Lakes State, not the rule of law. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit should not turn a blind eye to the people of Lakes State. Governor Rin is using arbitrary laws in the state. He is acting beyond the constitutional provisions. We are part of the Republic of South Sudan, you come to our help and advice Rin to spare us, we are suffering and dying under Rin’s rules of man!