Bari Community: SSPDF Troops Must Withdraw From Mangala

SSPDF soldiers should withdraw from Mangala this is what the Bari community is saying both inside and Southside South Sudan. The bari Community is also urging the government to take action and end the violence that is destroying Mangala County.

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The Bari Community called for the immediate withdrawal of Dinka Bor cattle keepers inside Mangala and other Bari areas and again urging the government to intervene with a dialogue for the both parties involved in a circular seen by City Reviews Voice Of The People.

As quoted below the bari people are saying “we demand that the government withdraw its forces from the islands and return them to their barracks,” Bari community.

Bari Community in Diaspora are also appealing to the lawmakers represent all the Bari Payams to visits their constituencies and assess the suffering of the Bari people. 

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“We demand that the government lift the humanitarian blockade and remove bureaucratic impediments to the efforts in Bari Bomas,” the statement read.

The Bari community have distance themselves from the NAS rebels saying that; “the Bari Global community also demands that the SSPDF spokesperson withdraw his statement labelling the indigenous people of Mangalla Payam as NAS rebels.”

According to Maj Gen Lul Ruai’s press statement last year, the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) fought and drove out the National Salvation Front (NAS) forces in the area.

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The Bari community are disputing the presence of NAS rebels in their region, they even quoted a statement from Maj. Gen Lil Ruai saying that: “to ensure that the faithful can celebrate the holiday season in peace, mobile infantry units stormed NAS bases, neutralising five rebels and recovering 30 rounds for 82 MM,” the SSPDF said in a statement. “Another NAS base was also captured, with 1,000 individual trenches,” Ruai said.

The statement branding all Bari speakers as NAS Rebels led to widespread of human rights violations and lost of lives 

Another comment by Maj. Gen Lil Ruai Quoted by the Bari Community “the SSPDF would like to reassure the people of South Sudan that forces are still conducting offensive operations to flush out NAS rebels on several islands they have occupied between Juba and Mangalla,”-Maj. Gen Ruai. 

The Bari Community concluded by saying that “our main concern is the deterioration of the displaced indigenous people on the riverbank,” the group noted.

“As of now, over 7,000 people have been displaced from Mangala Payam, and women, men, and children are facing extreme food insecurity due to the security blockade that prevents all individuals and humanitarian organizations from visiting the displaced area of Mangalla payam.”