Pacesetter: State Fighting Ethnicity Within Organised Forces

In a bid to tackle ethnicity within the security forces, the Eastern Equatoria State government has ordered the mass transfer of security personnel to counties other than their homes of origin.

The State Deputy Governor Nartisio Loluke Manir issued a Ministerial Order last week for immediate redeployment of over 2,200 police officers, from brigadiers to private police officers, to all the counties of the state including the state headquarters.

Manir who is also the State Minister of Local Government and Law Enforcement said unlike the past, the current redeployment ensures that security officers are not stationed in their homes of origin to boost the fight against crime.

“The move has been necessitated by the realization that certain officers underperform when stationed in their home counties. This prompted my administration to carry out a scrupulous research in collaboration with the police management team at the state level before the redeployment”, he said.

He added that the exercise that took nearly more than two months has now materialised for implementation.

“In exercise of powers conferred upon me by decree number 02/2010 of H.E Governor of Eastern Equatoria State in accordance with the constitution of Eastern Equatoria State, 2008,” reads his letter dated 18/10/2010 containing a long list of the transferred police officers.

Manir said the new move will assist in preparations for a free and fair referendum as well as combating nepotism in the force and stamping out cattle rustling and other criminal activities in the state.

“We are working hard to ensure the presence of all our security organs in all areas of human settlement in the state to maintain law and order”, said Manir.

Noting that most counties have inadequate or totally lack accommodation facilities for security officers, the Minister said his Ministry in conjunction with the state government is working on addressing the situation.

He at the same time urged the respective counties to use their local resources, including revenue collection to address the issue.

The Eastern Equatoria State Governor Brigadier General Louis Lobong Lojore told Gurtong that his administration is committed to balancing the civil service as well as the police force in all the counties to keep ethnicity at bay.

“We will make sure all our organised forces in the counties up to the Boma levels are mixed. This time the Toposa who do not know how to eat fish will learn to eat it as they have been deployed to Magwi County. The Madi and Acholi of Magwi County must also learn how to eat abundant meat in Kapoeta counties of the Toposa”, he said.