22 killed, 18 injured in South Sudan’s inter-clan clash
December 31, 2017 (JUBA) – At least 22 people were killed in inter-clan clashes that occurred in war-torn South Sudan, an official said.
The fighting, the latest in a series of attacks between rival communities, occurred in Bor South, which is located in Jonglei state.
The Bor South county commissioner, Deng Mabior, said about 18 people was also critically injured during the weekend’s clash.
“The situation is currently under control of the army. The army is doing a good job by also talking to them about peace. But the challenge now is on the humanitarian aspect,” Mabior was quoted saying.
The clashes, he added, saw many people displaced from their homes.
Jonglei information minister, Deng Akech, also confirmed the incident and that the military was deployed in area to ease tension.
The regional government said it would investigate the conflict and arrest those found to have instigated the violence.
“What we are trying to do now is to make sure that the situation is contained,” Mabior said.
Rival pastoralists and farming communities in South Sudan have a long and bloody history of tit-for-tat attacks. The fighting has worsened amidst the disintegration of society during the four-year civil war, which began in December 2013.
(ST)