Jonglei: Seven die in Akobo inter-clan fighting
May 9 2013 (BOR) – At least seven people were reported dead and 15 others injured following two consecutive inter-clan clashes in Waat and Walgak in Jonglei state’s Akobo county on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The commissioner of Akobo county, Koung Rambeng, described it as long term conflict, tracing it roots back to the killing of a Luo Nuer chief in 2008. Reprisal attacks between the communities killed 19 people on each side following the chief’s death and have continued on and off since then.
According to the commissioner, the fighting started on Tuesday in Walgak when youth gathered in Walgak town, forcing South Sudan’s army – the SPLA to intervene.
He said the same happened in Waat the next day; “people gathered in Waat, and you know people with the story of conflict, they started again and the SPLA intervened”.
“The SPLA intervened and separated the two and we are now working to see how we can bring in the chiefs”, he said.
“The situation is calm now, we have deployed the SPLA around Walgak and Waat just to deter any mobilization again and we have arrested some people who are believed to have triggered the fighting , and we are moving, trying to bring the communities together to initiate immediate dialogue and I am in touch with the leadership in Bor to see how they can bring in the MPs of the areas to see how the communities can negotiate on settling this dispute”, he said over the phone on Thursday.
International health group, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which operates a hospital in Lankien released a statement saying that at least two people had died and 11 others injured in the fighting.
MSF further said that some of the wounded had to be moved to another MSF facility in Nasir, Upper Nile State, as Lankien hospital does not have the surgical facilities to treat the injured.
“Two of the patients died from internal bleeding related to wounds to their abdomens. One of the dead included a 14 year old adolescent boy. The other two patients were stabilised with wounds to their upper leg and knee, respectively, and were evacuated on Wednesday to MSF’s hospital in Nasir,” said the statement.
Four more cases were submitted to MSF’s hospital in Lankien on Wednesday after the fighting in Waat.
A further five injured people were brought to the hospital by pickup truck, including two women from Waat. MSF said that all patients had been stabilised, with some being prepared to be move to Nasir in order to receive surgery on Thursday.
“The hospital is prepared to receive more wounded as needed. An MSF team is preparing to visit the area to assess any additional needs,” the statement concluded.
(ST)