Warrap sectional clashes leave over 19 people dead amid fears of revenge attack
July 28, 2015 (JUBA) – More than 19 people have been killed in sectional clashes in Warrap state between rival Dinka communities, generating fears that more retaliatory attacks could occur.
Ariech Mayar Ariec, deputy head of parliamentary committee for information and communications told Sudan Tribune on Monday that more than 12 people have been confirmed killed in three separate locations between two sections in the area.
The section fighting in which several properties and lives have been lost, according to the legislator, took place in Wunrel, Majak Nyiom and Ajogo Market in Gogrial east county,Warrap state.
The cause of fighting remained unclear, although the legislator and several key community figures, including two county commissioners consider the cause of latest development as a revenge attack in retaliation to previous attacks. The past attacks were over long standing community dispute over land and repeated cross cattle theft due to lack of formidable post in the area.
“The information we have now is that youth from Aguok went to Wunrel yesterday and seized the house of one of the cattle owners called Akoon Adol Akoon in Wunrel and they took away 193 heads of cattle and they killed one person and took away four automatic rifle machines,” Ariech said on Tuesday.
The legislator narrated that some lives were lost in another incident at Ajogo market in Gogrial East county when armed youth from Aguok stormed the local market and went on shooting spree, compelling police forces and Apuk area (Gogrial East) to lay an ambush against retreating armed youth from Aguok, resulting in the killing of at least 7 people from Apuk and 12 people from Aguok.
“Gogrial West county commissioner and I [on] Monday went to the area and talked to the people because the one who was killed yesterday on Sunday during this attack by the youth group from Aguok in Wunrel was from my constituency. He was from Kuac South and the people in Kuac are not party to the conflict between Apuk and Aguok,” he explained.
He said the deceased was found in the house and he did not know the youth from Aguok were going to carry out the attack in the area.
The legislator said he and his community wanted the state government to work with the county authorities to identify the culprits, arrest them and return the stolen cows from Apuk area so that the community was not dragged to the sectional fight.
“As the representative of my people, I think it would [be] wise if the state government does three things which are very important in arresting this situation. One important way is for the state government to work together with the county authorities to identify the culprits, arrest and let the law takes it course without delay. Two, return the cows which have been stolen from Apuk and three these people need to stop attacking populated areas which inhabited by civilians on both sides,” Ariech further suggested.
Meanwhile, Ater Kuei Thiep, a member of the state legislative Assembly from Gogrial East representing the area in which the incident had taken place, described in a separate interview the sectional fighting as “unfortunate and unacceptable incident.”
Warrap and Lakes state are the most affected areas by inter-communal fighting between different clans of the Dinka ethnic group in the country.
(ST)