By James Innocent
The Commissioner of Yei River County, Emmanuel Taban Seme, has called on armed opposition groups to lay down their weapons and embrace peace.
He warned that continued conflict deepened civilian suffering as well as hindering development.
Commissioner Taban accused the SPLA-IO and NAS of carrying out joint attacks in Lasu Payam, which he said had spread fear among residents and disrupted daily life.
“The SPLA-IO and NAS groups have made a joint attack on areas of Lasu Payam, causing fear to the citizens, and it is affecting the development of the county,” he said.
He further urged the groups not to use Yei as a battleground, cautioning that persistent insecurity would damage prospects for the next generation.
The Commissioner cited earlier incidents in Mugwo Payam, where clashes displaced families and heightened tensions.
Religious and community leaders echoed the commissioner’s call for peace. Bishop Levi Marandulu Yopete of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan (ECSS) urged residents to reject violence, stressing that “with conflicts in Yei, peace and development will not be realized at all.”
Meanwhile, Mabe Moses, Director of the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission in Yei River County, reported that more than 2,000 people have been displaced by recent fighting in Morobo and Yei counties. Many of them are sheltering in Pokula Boma.
However, he said that no comprehensive registration has yet been carried out for those affected by the latest violence in Lasu.
Moses appealed to humanitarian agencies to provide urgent assistance to displaced families, citing critical needs for food, shelter, and other basic services.
The renewed violence underscores the fragile security situation in Yei and its surrounding areas, despite ongoing appeals for reconciliation and stability in South Sudan.