At least two people were killed and two others injured in revenge attacks involving two rival clans in Jonglei State’s Akobo County, authorities said.
The Cie-Rut and Cie-Lwoi, two clans with a history of feuds, were involved in intermittent clashes which started on Thursday evening and resumed in the morning of the following day.
Akobo County Commissioner James Kueth Makuach told Radio Tamazuj that fighting has been halted with the two rival clans being engaged in a dialogue.
“In 2023, several members of Cie-Lwoi were killed in a revenge attack. The situation has since remained calm. However, on Thursday, members of Cie-Rut were targeted by Cie-Lwoi to avenge their people killed two years ago, resulting in two dead and two injuries,” Kueth explained. “All those killed are from Ciie-Rut. Those injured are from both sides.”
According to the commissioner, peace efforts are underway, but the situation remains unpredictable.
“We stopped the fighting and are now engaging the two sides in a dialogue so that blood compensation takes place; however, these issues of revenge killings remain unpredictable,” Kueth added.
For his part, Benson Gatwech, the county executive secretary, also confirmed the incident.
“After Independence Day, the situation was tense in Walgak Payam where the two clans of Cie-Rutboi and Ce-Lwoi were involved in fighting, resulting in the killing of two people,” he reported. “Our commissioner travelled to Walgak and now the situation is calm.”
Meanwhile, Ter Manyang, a civil society activist and the Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA) executive director, said revenge killing is a deeply entrenched culture among the South Sudanese and that empowering traditional leadership could avert the vice.
“The culture of revenge killing is common in South Sudan. So there is a need to address it. Empowering our traditional leaders by training them on laws and blood compensation would help,” he stated. “During the recent Governor’s Forum, this issue was addressed, but a lack of follow-up by the presidential affairs minister is yet another problem.”