South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
BY Waure Eddy
Business came to a standstill for hours on Tuesday in Yambio, Tambura and neighboring towns in Western Equatoria State, following the removal of Governor Alfred Futuyo Karaba from office in a presidential decree.
Hundreds of excited residents jammed the streets of these towns including Ezo, and Source-Yubu Payam to welcome the sacking of Futuyo, who is affiliated to the opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in opposition (SPLM-IO) party.
Futuyo was the only Governor among the 9 officials relieved on Monday by President Salva Kiir Mayardit.
Kiir appointed the Daniel Badagbu Rimbasa, the Deputy Governor of Western Equatoria State to serve as the Acting Governor.
Isaac Mathew, a resident of Yambio who joined the procession celebrating the ouster of Futuyo, said the latter had failed to restore peace and calm to the now restive region since his appointment in 2020.
Western Equatoria has been experiencing communal violence since mid-2021 particularly, between the major ethnic groups of Azande and Balanda. The violence has left hundreds of people killed and over 79,000 displaced from their homes.
“I am going to sleep outside today with my wife and children because we are celebrating. Since the appointment of Alfred Futuyo Karaba, Western Equatoria has been in total violence, especially in Greater Tambura County. He has failed to address the killings of innocent people over the past five years,” Mathew told The Dawn in Yambio.
Mathew accused Futuyo of fostering divisions and tribalism among communities that had lived peacefully together for decades.
Unverified reports claim that Governor Futuyo went into hiding after angry residents attacked his home.
Another resident, Mariam Moses, 40, a businesswoman in Yambio, said insecurity under Futuyo’s leadership made several families insecure and also disrupted business.
“For the past three years, I have lived in fear. The killing of innocent people, looting, and burning of houses have forced thousands to flee their homes. We are grateful to President Salva Kiir for this decision because I think for the first time we can now cultivate our farms without fear,” she said.
Grace Angelo Gaza, a single mother in Yambio, said Futuyo’s removal signals the return of peace in Greater Tambura County, which has been plagued over the past years with violence.
“I was always afraid when my children went to school because gunshots were rampant in Yambio. The national government must ensure that Futuyo is handled well to prevent further problems in Western Equatoria,” she said.
Meanwhile, Gaaniko Peter Jerome said that the Transitional Government of National Unity erred in appointing SPLA-IO affiliated members to take charge of Western Bahr El Ghazal and Western Equatoria State.
“My happiness will not stop until a new governor is appointed. The mistake was giving Western Bahr El Ghazal and Western Equatoria State to SPLM-IO. This allowed them to move freely without proper control,” he claimed.
