The local authorities in Jonglei State’s Duk County said some of their armed youth who recently invaded parts of neighboring Twic East County have withdrawn, easing tensions there.
However, officials in Twic East County said they have yet to confirm the withdrawal.
In recent months, tensions flared into violence between the communities of Duk and Twic East counties along the bordering fishing grounds, leaving several people dead, injured, or displaced, and properties destroyed. The most recent attack saw Hol youth of Duk County overrunning the strategic Aliei fishing village at the outskirts of Twic East County headquarters, Panyagoor.
Duk County Commissioner John Chatim Ruei told Radio Tamazuj that their youth had heeded their calls and had since withdrawn. He also confirmed that a man taken hostage during the latest attack had been handed over to him and is awaiting reunion with his family in Twic East County.
“As of the weekend, our youth vacated Aliei and other villages within Twic East County, and they are now in the areas of Bothagamy and Lang,” he stated. “This is in response to our call. This will now allow for dialogue.”
“A man identified as Dut Deng Atem, taken hostage by our youth, has been handed over to me, and I will now plan a handover to Twic East authorities,” Chatim added.
Responding to remarks made by Twic East Commissioner James Magok Mabiei, labeling the attacking Duk youth as rebels, Commissioner Chatim said his colleague’s remarks were unfounded.
“The fighting initially started as ownership disputes. However, recent weeks saw our youth encroaching deeply into Twic East territories, looting properties,” he explained. “While we condemned the attacks, this does not qualify our youth being labeled as rebels or SPLA-IO. The fighting is rather an intercommunal one, not a rebellion.”
The Duk commissioner reiterated calls for dialogue. “We are one people, and we believe dialogue should be the way forward.”
For his part, Commissioner Magok of Twic East said he had yet to confirm the withdrawal of Duk youth from his territory.
“Our people who were victimized during the recent flare-up of violence have yet to reach areas with a telecommunication network. So we do not know if Duk youth have withdrawn,” he said. “What I can confirm is the safety of one of our sons taken hostage by Duk youth. The Duk commissioner told me that the captive was already in his custody.”
Commissioner Magok also echoed the call for dialogue.
“We need dialogue to iron out these differences. Since 1992, we have been together with the people of Duk in Panyaggor,” he said. “So, the cause of these evil acts needs our commitment to dialogue.”
Meanwhile, Bol Deng Bol, a Jonglei-based civil society activist, said the intermittent Twic East-Duk fighting was costing too many lives and destroying livelihoods, and that dialogue was the only option.
He reiterated the call for the deployment of a neutral security force as a buffer and the immediate initiation of a dialogue to foster peaceful coexistence among the warring communities.
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