Bishops, Diplomats Want SSudan's Kajokeji Killings Probed

Church leaders from Sudan and South Sudan have called on authorities in Juba to arrest the killers of least 27 unarmed people in Kajokeji County on the eve of Pope Francis' recent visit to Juba.

“We, the catholic bishops, ask the government of South Sudan to take serious step to apprehend the killers and put them to law. No killing is justifiable,” Ameyu told reporters Monday.

President Salva Kiir ordered cattle keepers to return to their place of origin in 2017. Kiir issued a statement Wednesday condemning the killings of unarmed civilians in Kajokeji county.

On Monday, Central Equatoria Governor Emmanuel Adil traveled to Kajokeji to address insecurity and displacement of families caused by the violence. He called the attacks on civilians a “horrific massacre.”

Kajokeji Commissioner Phanuel Dumo said armed cattle herders from Jonglei State’s Bor County killed unarmed civilians and displaced 2,000 people.

Colin Machado, the acting public affairs officer at the U.S. embassy in Juba, says South Sudanese leaders need to address the root causes of the violence and take action as soon as possible.

“We call on the transitional government to urgently identify and hold accountable those responsible for these deaths. Leaders need to act to address the underlying causes of this violence to prevent further loss of life,’’ Machado said.

The embassies of Norway, the U.K. and U.S. also called on South Sudanese groups and communities to refrain from violence and use peaceful means to resolve their differences.

Nicholas Haysom, the head of the U.N. Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), called the violence unacceptable and urged South Sudanese authorities to heed the pope's message of peace, adding that perpetrators of violence should be held accountable.