The Commissioner of Yei River County Hon. Aggrey Cyrus Kanyikwa is appealing to South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayerdit to consider court trials for politicians in the country suspected of human rights violations.
The commissioner accuses senior politicians of harboring impunity against the civilian populations across the country.
Cyrus sets the South Sudanese defense forces soldiers free from impunity as they are understood of concealing impunity.
The head of Yei local government blames politicians for being behind cattle herders who are causing a lot of destruction to agricultural communities.
Aggrey mentions crimes including the destruction of farmlands, raping, looting of properties, and forced displacement of civilians perpetrated by cattle keepers supported by politicians.
“I would be wishing to put an application to the president that, impunity is no longer with the SSPD but impunity is now with the politicians. That there has to be a court the politicians to try the politicians not to continue on harboring impunity, we seen this with the cattle headers, behind are politicians,” he said.
Commissioner Cyrus warns that politicians should not be allowed to conduct impunity in the country because of the positions they hold in the government.
The government official requests that the cattle should not be used for intimidation of citizens but rather used for the benefit of the civil population and nation-building.
“This politician shouldn’t be allowed to conduct impunity in South Sudan because of their position and post, there is no nation-building here, this is an individual interest to raise wealth for personal interest.”
Commissioner Aggrey Cyrus was addressing participants during the civil-military dialogue in Yei.
In 2017, President Salva Kiir issued a decree ordering cattle keepers from Jonglei to move all their livestock out of the greater Equatoria region. A committee was also set up to ensure that the animals were returned to their respective states.