Authorities to establish dialogue after deadly clashes in Sudan’s Equatoria

Sept 30, 2005 (NAIROBI/KOTOBI) — Authorities in Mundri county in western Equatoria in southern Sudan are looking to bring the pastoralist and host communities together for dialogue after more fighting broke out last week.

SPLA fighters guard a village in southern Sudan .

At least 8 people are confirmed dead and many others injured when fighting broke out in the town of Lui.

According to one source who spoke to the Independent Sudan Radio Service from Kotobi on condition of anonymity, the fighting may have started after a herd of cattle destroyed a farm of the host community.

OLS security monitoring officer in Kotobi, Apollo Iringi, says the situation in Lui is still tense, but that area authorities are working to improve the situation.

He said “it is still a bit tense and it is being monitored especially Lui is not very safe. Right away the authority had gone to Lui on 23rd and held a meeting with their community, there was an attempt to get some soldiers and also some security personnel actually to go and trying to cool down the situation.”

Meanwhile, the organization Samaritan’s Purse, which operates in Lui, has temporarily pulled out until the fighting stops.

More than 20 people have died since tensions began between pastoralist and host communities in Mundri in the mid 19-90’s.

(Sudan Radio Service/ST)