15 killed and 25 injured in bloody Unity State violence

Authorities in the Unity State have reported 15 death cases in bloody clashes caused by armed youth of Leer and Mayendit counties of Unity State.

State Director-General of Information and Communications Deng Moun Liah told The City Review that the incident lasted for two days between counties of Leer and Mayendit.

“The conflict between the two communities lasted for two days and it cost nearly 15 lives and 25 people wounded,” Moun said.

The minister said he communicated with the county authorities of the Mayendit county commissioner and found out that there were nine people wounded and one death case. From Leer County, there were more than 11 people killed and 15 others wounded.

Moun claimed that the fight was motivated by SPLA-IO rival factions loyal to Lt. Gen. Simon Gatwech and Riek Machar.

“We as the government have condemned such confrontations because we are in the process of implementing the peace agreement and we are urging the SPLA-IO and the Kitgwang groups to refrain from all this violence,” he said.

Moun said the fighting first started between forces loyal to Mr Machar and the SPLA-IO forces of Gatwech.

Leer County commissioner Stephen Taker, accused Mayendit and Koch County commissioners of Mobilizing youth from their areas to attack Leer and raid their cattle.

He said that the armed youth from the neighbouring Koch and Mayendit counties launched an attack in his area on Wednesday and Thursday this week.

“The armed youth from the neighbouring Koch and Mayendit counties launched an attack in the area on Wednesday and Thursday this week that lead to at least 12 people killed and 11 others being injured during the clashes,” he said.

Taker said that the youth of Koch County and Mayendit agreed to attack Leer County the clashes started on 15 and 16 of February and our youth were disgruntled.

Taker has urged Governor Joseph Monytuil to investigate the two county commissioners and hold them accountable for supporting inter-communal violence.

On his part, Mayendit County Commissioner Gatluak Nyang refuted the allegations and instead blamed the youth from Leer for attacking Mayendit.

He added that one person was killed and 13 others injured in his area during a heavy attack by armed youth from Leer.

He said, “They came targeting where the cattle camps of Mayendit are located which is Rup north.  When they reached Rup, they started fighting with the youth of Mayendit. But the youth from Mayendit pushed them back to their land,” Nyang said.

He added that when the armed youth were coming they burned some houses in Lual and Nyal and even in Rup North.

“From the youth of Mayendit, 13 wounded and one person passed away yesterday due to lack of health facility in the area,” he said.