Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Tensions between the Hol community of Duk County and the Ayual community of Twic East County in South Sudan’s Jonglei State erupted into deadly violence, leaving at least 13 people dead and more than 20 wounded in clashes over a disputed fishing area.
The fighting began Wednesday when armed youth from Duk County allegedly attacked Bioth-Agany Fishing Island, a contested territory claimed by Twic County.
The assault sparked intense clashes, with both communities reporting casualties.
Twic East County Commissioner Juach Arok Juach told Radio Tamazuj on Friday that his community had lost seven people, with seven others injured and four still missing.
“The Hol attackers are still in Bioth-Agany, and the situation remains tense,” he said. “Authorities are doing their best to de-escalate the clashes.”
For his part, Duk County Commissioner John Chatim confirmed that six people from his county were killed and 14 others wounded. “This violence must stop so that the government can carry out investigations and bring those responsible to book,” he said.
Jonglei State Minister of Local Government and Law Enforcement Simon Hoth Duol, who is also acting governor, confirmed the incident and said joint security forces are being prepared for deployment to the conflict zone.
“We have gathered the police, the army, wildlife and the prison service personnel,” he said. “But we are facing a logistical challenge in transporting them by boat to the scene. We hope to resolve this soon and send forces to rescue the situation.”
Local officials suspect the renewed violence may be retaliation for the October 2023 killing of Deng Dau, also known as Deng-Moradong, a respected wrestler whose death allegedly involved armed youth from Duk County. The case remains unresolved and has fueled ongoing tensions.
Communal violence remains a major source of conflict in much of South Sudan, causing significant harm to civilians. Experts attribute the unrest to a mix of political instability, ethnic tensions, competition for resources, weak governance and climate-induced resource scarcity.
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