September 22nd 2015: 4 men and a woman were killed in Katigiri in Central Equitoria State of South Sudan by Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) forces loyal to President Salva Kiir. According to residents accounts the deceased where killed execution style after being accused of being rebels.
A fact-find team is touring all South Sudanese states with the purpose of collecting facts that will facilitate the Truth, Reconciliation and Healing Commission (TRHC) formulation as provided for in the IGAD-PLUS peace deal that brought the end of over 18-months conflict.
Eye witness accounts state that the 5 killed had been locked up in a state facility during the visit of the fact-finding team before they were killed shortly after.
The incidents of executions and maltreatments of residents in the area have risen with most of the victims said to be mistaken as rebels. Residents of the rebel prone regions have gone into hiding in rural areas.
The soon-to-be first Vice President of the Transitional Government of National Unity Dr. Riek Machar announced recently after a trip to Khartoum that he was hopeful the ceasefire would hold and a disarmament plan on the rebels was in play to ensure that peace returned in South Sudan.
The disarmament process will reduce the tension and suspicion between the government forces and rebels facilitate the Peace agreement success in world’s youngest state.
