Some citizens, who reside at Gbuduge, Rajaf East, an area commonly known as Gumbo-Shirkat in Juba, reported heavy shooting on Monday morning, following a demolition exercise allegedly carried out by the government.
Speaking to CRN, one of the residents who identifies himself only as Bol due to security purpose says, people were taken-up by surprise, when the government started demolishing the place without informing them in advance.
He says it happened at a wrong time when South Sudanese were expecting peace in the country.
‘What has happened really has shocked us. We don’t like the way the government is treating them. We are even members of the government and we are being done like this. This one is irritating us so much. Even this morning they came with guns and they started shooting randomly. People are now vulnerable. Children, women are all vulnerable and we don’t have another alternative to shelter ourselves’, says Bol.
The citizen accuses those who demolished the area of looting people’s property, including laptops, computers, decoders and money.
‘Even those who have done this demolition, they have taken some belongings like computers, laptops, some money and TV. Why are they doing this? This is unbecoming. We don’t like such behaviours. They used heavy weapons to threaten us as civilians, why? This is not good. What they have done is very painful and it is irritating us as citizens’, says the resident.
Another resident who also prefers to be an anonymous says a large area has been demolished, blaming the government for failing to inform the people to prepare and evacuate the area.
‘The local residents have nowhere to take their families, the children, property or there is no place identified by the government to relocate us. This is a forced demolition. This blame goes to the organizing committee. They should have to give a notice at specific time such that they prepare and evacuate. There was no time given. It was just by surprise. I cannot detail who shoots. It might be any of the two parties. Either it might be the government or the residents who shoot’, says the citizen.
Meanwhile in a joined press conference, Jubek State and the national government accuse organized forces of demolishing the place, describing them as land grabbers.