A civil society activist in Lakes State has called for the identification and prosecution of those responsible for last week’s intercommunal violence in Rumbek town, saying accountability is necessary before meaningful dialogue can begin.
Daniel Laat, the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) coordinator in Lakes State, told Eye Radio that families who lost loved ones would be more willing to participate in peace talks if those responsible were identified and held accountable.
The violence reportedly left 71 people dead, raising concerns about security and the prospects for peaceful coexistence among communities in the state.
“There is a need to identify those perpetrators. If perpetrators are identified and held accountable, at least the aggrieved family can easily accept the dialogue,” Laat said.
He recalled previous peace initiatives in Lakes State, saying community members, peace partners and the state government had contributed to maintaining peace over the past four to five years.
“That is why you have seen the state has been in peace for the last four to five years now,” he said.
Laat urged authorities to revive similar dialogue initiatives while ensuring that individuals implicated in the latest violence are taken through due legal process.
He said accountability and reconciliation should go hand in hand to rebuild trust among affected families and prevent further violence.
Meanwhile, Laat described the security situation in Lakes State as relatively calm following the deployment of security forces by the state government, although he said fear persisted in villages outside Rumbek town.
“The situation currently in Lakes is calm, though there is still fear in the villages that are out of the town. But entirely the state is a bit calm,” he said.
Laat added that the government had deployed security personnel but that more forces were needed to address the prevailing security concerns.
He also confirmed that the state government imposed a curfew on Monday, running from 6:30 p.m. to 7 a.m., as part of measures to maintain order following the violence.
However, he called for public awareness of the curfew and the risks associated with violating its restrictions.
“Yesterday there was a curfew that was imposed from 6:30 p.m. to 7 a.m., but there is a need to now educate the community,” Laat said.
He urged authorities to strengthen security measures and pursue accountability alongside community dialogue to prevent further bloodshed.
The activist said identifying and prosecuting those responsible, combined with renewed peace initiatives, could help restore confidence among communities affected by the violence.
The post Lakes’ activist calls for arrests over Rumbek violence that killed 71 first appeared on Eye Radio.