An elderly woman was shot dead while working in her garden in Iloli Village, Hiyala Payam of Torit County, on Friday, community leaders said.
The victim, Aida Ibalu Oile, wife of Concordio Oile, was attacked by an armed man as she was preparing to return home with her sister, Maria, according to local officials. The assailant stopped the women and opened fire, killing Aida instantly, before fleeing the scene, community leader Obusuk Michael told Radio Tamazuj.
Local youth rushed to the area after hearing gunshots and attempted to track the suspect by following his footprints, which led towards the outskirts of Oguruny Village, where the suspect reportedly fired additional shots before disappearing, Obusuk said.
“The youth followed the footprints up to the outskirts of Oguruny but decided to return because the suspect had escaped,” Obusuk said. “We immediately informed the authorities because we want justice through the law.”
During the search, youth encountered two women from Loliyanga Village and briefly stopped them for questioning, but they were safely handed over to clan members after community leaders intervened to prevent any retaliation.
Obusuk stressed that the community seeks the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrator, not revenge. “We need peace. We do not want revenge killings. Whoever committed this crime should be arrested and brought before the law. An elderly woman should never lose her life in such a brutal manner.”
The killing follows an incident three months ago in which Iloli youth allege that more than 40 goats belonging to the same victim were raided by suspected neighbours from Oguruny.
Elder Otelmoi Edoukori condemned the killing as part of a recurring cycle of violence affecting neighbouring communities and identified the victim as Aida Ebalu Oile. He expressed frustration that no law enforcement officers had visited the village to investigate.
“We have waited all this time, but no authority has come to investigate what happened,” Edoukori said. “We continue to advise our youth not to take the law into their own hands because peace must prevail.”
Attempts to obtain comment from Torit County authorities were unsuccessful by the time of publication.
Margaret Itiara, Secretary General of the Torit County Women Association, described the killing as heartbreaking and said women bear the greatest burden of recurring violence, often becoming innocent victims of conflicts they neither start nor participate in.
“We are losing people every day. Women go to their gardens, to collect food for their families, only to become victims of violence,” Itiara said. “We are tired of burying our loved ones.”
She called for urgent peacebuilding initiatives and reconciliation efforts, noting that children and young people are increasingly becoming victims of insecurity across Torit County.
and then