Bor County launches manhunt for Red Belt commander Leek Mamer

BOR – The leadership of Bor County in South Sudan’s Jonglei State has issued its strongest warning yet to the commander of the Red Belt, vowing to pursue the leader of the vigilante group if he fails to surrender voluntarily as security operations intensify across the county.

The declaration signals a hardening stance by local authorities determined to dismantle armed groups operating outside state control amid growing insecurity.

The warning was delivered during a press conference following a consultative meeting that brought together Bor County leaders, members of parliament, youth and women representatives, traditional chiefs, and local administrators.

The meeting focused on what participants described as an urgent need to end violence and reassert government authority in Bor and its surrounding areas.

Bor County Commissioner Samuel Ateny Pech told journalists that the county administration is fully aligned with the Government of South Sudan and will not tolerate the continued activities of the Red Belt vigilante group.

He stressed that the people of Bor do not support the group or its leadership and dismissed suggestions that the community is protecting its commander, identified as Leek Mamer Leek.

“We, the people of Bor County, are not supporting Leek,” Pech said. “We are standing with the Government of South Sudan, and we will never support him if he is fighting the government—unless he is fighting an enemy of the people of Bor County.”

In his most forceful remarks, the commissioner warned that the government’s patience is running out. He said community leaders, particularly chiefs from Leek’s home area, have been asked to persuade him to surrender peacefully, but failure to do so would trigger a manhunt.

“As the head of security at the county level, I have been given the mandate to speak to the people so that they hand him over to the government,” Ateny said. “We have also asked the chiefs from Leek’s community to surrender him. If they fail to do so, the government will hunt for him itself.”

Commissioner Pech emphasised that the ongoing security operations are aimed at restoring law and order and protecting civilians, not targeting communities. He assured residents that safeguarding innocent lives remains a priority, even as government forces confront armed elements.

Responding to public criticism over the use of heavy weaponry during recent operations, the commissioner said decisions on military tactics and arms rest solely with the state. He argued that civilians do not have the authority to dictate how security forces conduct operations.

“People have been asking why the government used RPGs,” he said. “Citizens of Bor County do not choose which weapons the government uses. If it were possible, people would write down and select the weapons they prefer.”

Traditional leaders echoed calls for unity while urging restraint on all sides. Gordon Anoon Akol, Head Chief of Baidit and Deputy Paramount Chief of Bor County, said the conflict has been worsened by divisions over the Red Belt vigilante group, including disagreements over its name and purpose. He suggested the group be referred to as Gel Bai, arguing that the label “Red Belt” itself has fueled fear and tension.

“We all need to come together—those who say the Red Belt is causing harm and those who believe it is protecting the community—and bring this issue to an end,” Anoon said. “There is no history of rebellion in Bor.”

Anoon also linked recent violence to the presence of the group’s leader in Bor town, saying tensions escalated after his return. He noted that a recent incident resulting in the killing of two people has been attributed to that development.

“Leek should have absented himself from the town,” he said. “Let us stand together and give the government time to determine whether or not he will be handed over.”

Youth leaders, however, offered a more critical assessment of the situation. Jalle Youth Leader Mawut Peter Awan accused the government of failing to adequately protect communities, arguing that such gaps have driven young people to take up arms in self-defence.

“The work being done by the youth, especially the Red Belt, is the government’s responsibility,” Mawut said. “You have failed to protect the people. If the government fully takes responsibility, the youth will hand over their guns voluntarily.”

He added that if the community no longer wants the involvement of armed youth groups, their members should return home, disarm, and live peacefully under state protection.

Leek Mamer Leek, also known as “90 Bullets,” has previously defended the Red Belt group, saying its name symbolises a belt meant to hold up falling clothes—a metaphor, he said, for protecting and rescuing the people of Bor.

Tensions surrounding the group escalated sharply on 27 September 2025, when Red Belt fighters were accused of ambushing a convoy carrying senior government officials, including the Minister of Cabinet Affairs, the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, the Minister of Information, and the Bor County commissioner. The officials were reportedly returning from a wrestling match between Bor County and Yirol East County at the time.

As Bor County tightens its stance, local leaders insist that dialogue remains possible but warn that armed defiance will no longer be tolerated, underscoring that peace can only be achieved through surrender, accountability, and respect for state authority.