Kiir appoints a committee to probe into Mayom’s extrajudicial killings.

President Salva Kiir appointed a special committee on Thursday night to examine the insecurity situation, including extrajudicial murders, in Mayom County, Unity State.

In Mayom County, Unity State, four officers from the rebel South Sudan People’s Movement/Army (SSPM/A) commanded by General Stephen Buay were ruthlessly killed by government forces.

The killings, which took place on August 7, were purportedly carried out in reaction to an SSPM/A assault on Mayom County.

On 22 July, SSPM/A soldiers assaulted and murdered Mayom county commissioner James Chuol Gatluak, the brother of President Kiir’s National Security Advisor, Tut Gatluak Manime.

President Kiir constituted the investigating committee based on a suggestion by the Chief of Defense Forces (CDF), General Santino Deng Wol, according to a presidential order read on state-run television.

Major General Henry Lam Juach, Major General Abun Stephen Thiongkol, Judge Advocate Aguer Chol Aguer, and Major Sebit Mahmud will serve on the committee, which will be led by Senior Legal Counsel Sarafino Simon Mizan.

The committee’s mandate is to “examine the source of instability, including documented occurrences of extrajudicial murders and property damage in Mayom County.”

Within the scope of its mandate, the inquiry committee will question and summon suspects involved in the events, including those in detention. The committee is also instructed to coopt any relevant members as needed.

From September 8, the new investigating committee is supposed to report back to Kiir within 15 working days.

The Investigation Committees Act of 2006 in South Sudan allows the president to form committees with the authority to hold hearings, issue summonses, collect documents, and issue arrest warrants for anyone who refuse to appear before the committee without a sufficient cause.