Tensions has been brewing in Raja County of Western Bahr-Ghazal State between the SPLM-IG party secretary and the SPLM-IO nominated county commissioner.
It started when the SPLM-IG party County Secretary Mr. Ismail Awad ordered the SSPDF commander to stand down.
Raja County Commissioner Arcanjelo said that: “the SPLM secretary had been out of the county for a while but upon his return, he began meeting Sudanese traders and members of the local chamber of commerce in the town without my knowledge. So, I sent my security people to find out who was behind the meetings and we found out that it was the SPLM party who are our peace partners and I said it was okay,”
The commissioner further said “as the head of security in the county, I was not aware of the meeting but I allowed it to proceed. Unfortunately, the agenda in the meeting was that they (SPLM) are going to provide the Sudanese traders with Nationality Identification Cards so that they can vote in the upcoming elections.”-Commissioner Arcanjelo.
The commissioner further questioned the IG issuing Identity cards to foreigners “we have many of our citizens who do not have nationality cards so how can the SPLM party work to issue them to foreigners?” Commissioner said.
He explained to the media the civilians and foreigners safety is one of his mandate and any illegal meeting. He was angry when he was not notified of an ongoing SPLM-IG meeting so he sent people to inquire.
The people he sent were to inquire about the meeting were is his security details but they were later disarmed by the SPLM-IG secretary.
“My bodyguards were disarmed and it was said that I was planning to go to Dulo to bring our (SPLA-IO) forces but this is not true,” Commissioner Arcangelo said. “We as the government in Raja are for the safety of the citizens and we cannot create instability.”- He said.
The SPLM-IG secretary refuted the allegations that he was supplying Sudanese Nationals with identity cards (ID), and any SPLM-IG meeting does not require approval from the commissioner.
“The commissioner was not happy about the meeting of the SPLM members and he sent in security to disrupt the meeting. He questioned why the security in the county was allowing the SPLM party to continue conducting their activities day and night but he was told that the head of the SPLM party has a right to have political rallies,” SPLM-IG secretary said.
He further said that: “the county commissioner always blocks SPLM party activities and says permission has to be south from him which is not clear.”
Efforts to contact the SSPDF commander were futile and hear his side of story was not possible since he had been ghosting all the calls.
Raja County is located in the north-western corner of South Sudan in Western Bahr el-Ghazal State. It borders Wau County to the south-east, Northern Bahr-el Ghazal State to the east, and Western Equatoria State to the south. It also has long international borders with the Central African Republic to the west and Sudan to the north.
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