Women and children among dead as tribal clashes break out in E. Equatoria
December 7, 2014 (TORIT) – At least 24 people were killed when tribal tensions flared on Saturday between rival communities in Eastern Equatoria’s Torit county.
Eighteen women, two children and four men were reportedly massacred, while others sustained injures on Saturday during clashes between the Loroyo and Idali villages.
The killing of the women and young children in Loroyo payam (district) has forced the state government to intervene by sending high-level state officials and military reinforcements to prevent further violence between the two warring Otuho factions.
Acting state governor Jerome Gama Surur, alongside high-level security organs and the Torit county commissioner German Charles Ojok, visited the scene of the clashes.
Clashes reportedly broke out when local youths attempted to retrieve stolen cattle from a neighboring community.
The security situation in the area currently remains tense but calm.
Surer has condemned youths in Loroyo payam for taking the law into their own hands.
He has called for calm, urging Idali villagers who fled the violence to return to their homes.
He also urged villagers to refrain from retaliating out of revenge and let state authorities handle the matter.
“[I] am calling on you people to calm down and leave the situation upon the state government. We are hopeful to handle the situation,” he said.
A Loroyo chief has since been arrested in connection to the clashes after the Idali community accused him of instigating the violence by opening fire, prompting angry youth to take advantage of the situation.
Surer urged the community to report anyone suspected of participating in the killing of innocent women and children in Idali.
However, its believed many of the perpertrators have since fled to Torit and Juba.
Ojok described the killings as a barabaric act, but has appealed to both communities to exercise restraint.
Ojok also made assurances that county and state authorities will launch an investigation into the root causes of the killing and take steps to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Ojok said he is hopeful the chief will reveal some of the hardliners who took part in the killings.
Meanwhile, Loroyo youth who gathered to listen to the message from government and security officials claimed the major cause of tribal tensions in the area was cattle raiding carried out by Idali youth.
They said they were tracking their cattle when Idali youth opened fir eon them, forcing them to retaliate.
The youths claimed those killed had been caught in the crossfire and had not been the intended targets.
The situation in the area is expected to remain tense as the relatives of those killed seek justice.
(ST)