Why 4 Gogrial chiefs are under arrest

[Elisabeth Janaina]

Why 4 Gogrial chiefs are under arrest
Hellen Achayo | August 23, 2017 | 2:10 pm

Four chiefs have been arrested for failing to apprehend armed youth in
Gogrial State, the head of the security committee of the Bahr el
Ghazal inter-state peace has said.

The committee was formed earlier this month to maintain security in
Tonj, Wau, and Gogrial after the declaration of a state of emergency
in those areas by President Salva Kiir.

State of emergency is a situation of national danger or disaster in
which a government suspends normal constitutional procedures in order
to regain control.

It’s not clear why the president made the move; however, the areas
have been witnessing communal violence lately.

Tonj State governor, Akech Tong Aleu, who heads the security
committee, says the unnamed chiefs are also accused of incitement.

“Automatically we put them under arrest because they are the ones in
charge of those youth and everybody must be responsible for what he or
she is tasked to do,” Mr. Aleu told Eye Radio.

He called on all the chiefs in the three states to persuade armed
youth to lay down their guns.

Mr. Tong added that there has been a poor response from the civilians
to give up guns as per the resolution of their recent meeting among
the three states.

The move comes after one person was reported killed and four women
tortured by armed youth in Apuk South County in Gogrial State over the
weekend.