At least 14 people killed in Lakes’ Cueibet clashes

December 5, 2015 (RUMBEK) – Clashes between sections of Dinka community in Cueibet county of South Sudan’s Lakes state has reignited on Wednesday when a head teacher was killed for a revenge murder earlier on Tuesday, with the latest death toll reaching 14 people confirmed dead.

The county’s executive director, Turic Bil, later confirmed to Sudan Tribune that the dead head teacher who death sparked the latest upsurge of violence was identified as Chol Maker from Alel primary school. One student was wounded.

He said the fighting resumed on Wednesday in which 14 people were confirmed dead from both sides and 35 people others with gunshot wounds, some in critical condition, which may raise the death toll.

“The cause of fighting is the revenge killing between sections of Joth, Akak and Pagor payams,” he said.

He said the ring leader who instigated the killing of the head teacher was not arrested, adding authorities were trying to locate his whereabouts to arrest him.

“The government in the county is working hard to make sure that a suspected person who killed [the] head teacher is arrested,” he said.

“So far 14 people are killed and more than 35 people are wounded and the tension is very high among the two groups.”

Hospital medical director, Abraham Chingoth, confirmed that 8 people are in critical condition with gunshot wounds, fearing that some may die.

He also expressed fear that patients may come under attacks again if security is not increased, saying suspected armed youth were moving at night around the fence of the hospital and maybe planning to storm the hospital to kill the wounded patients.

“There is fear in this county hospital – there are armed youth moving here at night and indeed I am worried of their movement. There is need for county authorities to increase hospital security” said Chingoth.

Lakes state has remained in vicious cycle of counter revenge attacks since caretaker governor Maj Gen Matur Chut Dhuol took over more than two years ago, with activists, traditional authorities and intellectuals calling upon South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir Mayardit to remove Dhuol but so far all the calls have been overlooked by the president.

Thousands of people are feared to have been killed over the years due to the endless fighting between clans of the ethnic Dinka group, the largest and ruling single community in the country, from which president Kiir hails.

(ST)