An armed cattle keeper walks with his cows during a seasonal migration of cattle for grazing near Tonj, South Sudan, Feb. 16, 2020. | Photo credit: VOA

The Acting Minister of Information Lakes State said 5 people were killed and 15 others wounded in clashes between communities in Rumbek Centre County and Rumbek North County over the weekend.

William Koji Kerjok, said fighting erupted between two communities fighting after one person was shot and injured by a celebratory gunfire during a traditional ceremony at Gan cattle camp on Saturday.

“One of the youths from Boor section was injured by Niel-niel and this made them annoyed and it resulted to fighting between Niel-niel and Boor sections where 5 people were killed, and 6 others were injured,” he said.

“It caused a very big tension yesterday upto this morning,but the government managed to control the situation and both sides were being separated,” he added.

Dr. Teran Madit Teran, Medical Director of Rumbek State hospital, said the facility received about 15 people with gunshot wounds following the clashes.

He said most of the patients sustained injuries to their abdomen and lower limbs and there were no serious injuries.

“When we asked our nurses who are on duty, they say that they don’t what happened to them. But, based on our understanding, they might be fearing that they can be apprehended by the State government security forces for questioning and detention,” he said.

“The casualties are so many, like 15 of them with different kind of injuries, but the majority of them are like fractures of the limbs, which is upper and lower limbs, and then we have like three of them which have gunshots at the abdomen,” he added.

Kerjok said fighting was brought under control after state government deployed security forces to the area.

He further said local authorities including the commissioners, executive directors and chief have been discuss ways to resolve the tension.

He said the ongoing disarmament in Warrap and Unity states should be extended to Lakes State to remove arms from civilians prevent frequent clashes from communities.

“The State of emergency declared in Warrap State, should not end in Warrap. It should all be declared in all states in Bahr el ghazal particularly in the areas that are hostile with cattle raiding, revenge killing and other minor incidences that makes the situation not to be at ease in Lakes State,” he said.