File: David Yau Yau, Governor of Buma state speaking to the local population in Buma. PHOTO: Donnie Brake, Ed.D/https://dbrake80.wordpress.com/

The governor of Buma state says a disarmament exercise will take place across his state after the rainy season.

This comes after recent communal clashes left several people dead in the area.

Two months ago, 17 people were reportedly killed as a result of a cattle-raiding incident.

Ten others were also wounded, and a number of women and children were abducted when the two communities around Buma mountain clashed.

As a result, the government in Buma called on the national government to disarm the youth and investigate the incident.

This month, the state government initiated a peace dialogue between the Murle and the Jie communities.

“This is a sign of peace and we will still speak more to really put down all these differences and conflicts among themselves, because they will benefit nothing by fighting,” Governor David Yau Yau told Eye Radio in Nyat Payam at Buma National park this week.

Yau Yau said the Greater Pibor has not seen any form of development in decades due to the circle of violence -within and with its neighbors.

“We also want to work hard as the government to disarm the local population so that they don’t carry arms,” he said.

In January, Philip Aguer, former governor of Jonglei and David Yau Yau called on the national government to start the process of disarmament as a definite means of ensuring safety and security of the people, while sustaining the recently signed revitalized peace agreement.

This was during the handing over a total of 76 cows that were stolen from the Jale community last year by suspected Murle youth, who also killed 14 persons.

In November 2018, Yau Yau also handed over 40 stolen cows, which were forwarded to their owners in Jonglei.

Yau Yau expressed worry at the sophistication of the arms being held by civilians, saying, “this is the reason why I have made it clear to the national government for the start of a national campaign to collect arms from civilians.