South Sudan: Nine people killed in Bahr el Ghazal
January 1, 2012 (JUBA) – At least nine civilians have been killed in two separate incidents in South Sudan’s north-western region of Bahr el Ghazal.
Several others also sustained injuries in the incidents which took place in Aweil, the provincial capital of Northern Bahr el Ghazal, and Warrap state.
Authorities in Warrap state, where seven people died, attributed the killings to a dispute between two local groups over the name of Mangar village in Gogrial West County.
The fighting erupted days after high level community leaders, including the minister of Humanitarian Affairs Joseph Lual Acuil and the country’s police Inspector General Acuil Tito Madut, held its annual meeting in the disputed area on 27 December.
Authorities have blamed the Aguok community for starting the fight against the neighboring Kuac community on 31 December. The Aguok deny this charge, claiming that Kuac had intended to annex the area into their territory, without the Aguok’s consent.
Aciec Kuot Kuot, commissioner of the Gogrial West said in an interview with Sudan Tribune on 1 January, that the county authorities in collaboration with state government had been able to contain the clash and that the situation had returned to normal.
“Yes there was a clash yesterday (31 December) but the security situation has now returned to normal. Police have been deployed and we are monitoring it closely” commissioner Kuot said, before confirming that three were killed from his ethnic community of Aguok, and four from the Kuac community.
Meanwhile on 1 January, Kuac Deng Kuac, commissioner of Aweil East County, reported that two civilians has been killed, and three had sustained injuries on 31 December, at Peth Market in Aweil East County, when a soldier who was allegedly a member of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), opened fire into the market. He was then arrested.
Although the cause of the shooting is unknown, the authorities have suggested that the perpetrator may have mental problems, and was reported to have shot himself in 2008. The security situation in the area is said to have returned to normal.
(ST)