By Jenifer James
The First Deputy Speaker of the National Parliament, Oyet Nathaniel Pierino, has called on the citizens of South Sudan to refrain from taking matters into their own hands following reports of the killing of South Sudanese nationals in Sudan earlier this week.
His statement came after videos surfaced on social media showing the tragic incident in Wad Madani, El Jazirah State, which caused widespread distress among the South Sudanese public, particularly in the capital, Juba. The disturbing footage sparked plans for a peaceful demonstration scheduled for Friday.
In a media address on Thursday, First Deputy Speaker of the National Parliament, Oyet Nathaniel Pierino, urged the public to remain calm and allow the government to address the situation.
‘’Well, I do not advise that our citizens should take the law into their hands; they should be calm. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is already involved in addressing this issue. The Parliament, now I am talking, we are meeting and also consulting with our colleagues in the executive. There is actually no need to demonstrate. They will be obstructing public order and so on. Let them give the opportunity to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the relevant authorities of the government of South Sudan to address the matter head-on with the Sudanese authorities and whoever is acting on the other side,’’ Oyet said.
On Wednesday, the South Sudan Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Sudanese Ambassador, Isam Mohamed Hassan, to explain the circumstances in Wad Madani of El Jazirah State following the takeover from the Rapid Support Forces.
There have been viral videos and photos circulating online that detail some of the killings of South Sudanese in Wad Madani who were slaughtered, shot, and tortured.
The Sudanese Embassy in Juba said a committee has been formed to investigate the killings to bring the perpetrators to account.