One officer with the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) was killed and another was wounded in an attack by armed groups in the Maringi area of Tambura County, local officials said Thursday.
Tambura County Commissioner Mathew Mabenge told Radio Tamazuj that the clash occurred Wednesday during an exchange of heavy gunfire between government forces and unidentified armed men. He said the wounded officer was shot in the leg.
“We do not have any confirmed information regarding casualties on the side of the armed groups,” Mabenge said.
He said security forces are investigating the attack and called for calm among residents. Mabenge also appealed to the national government to urgently intervene to bring lasting peace to the area.
He acknowledged the presence of a U.N. Development Programme team in Tambura to conduct assessments aimed at supporting the 2018 revitalized peace agreement.
The community has repeatedly called on state and national governments to find a solution to the recurring violence that has claimed many lives since conflict erupted in the area in June 2021, Mabenge said.
The police commissioner of Western Equatoria State, Maj. Gen. Philip Madut Tong, confirmed the incident but said he had no further details.