One person was killed and two others injured when military men deployed to supervise a demolition exercise in Rumbek town fired warning shots to disperse protesters.
The incident occurred at the Akuac residential area in Rumbek town of Lakes State on Tuesday at around 10:30 am.
The residents had reportedly gathered to prevent the demolition exercise by the authorities, leading to violent confrontations with the security personnel.
Acting Police Spokesman in Lakes State, Lt. Col. Moses Machuoc Bol, told Radio Tamazuj that one person was shot dead in a crossfire and two others sustained severe injuries during the demolition exercise.
The police officer identified the injured as Mangar Riel Roljak and Gum Chol Manyiac. He said the two men are receiving treatment at Rumbek State Hospital.
“The security personnel were deployed to supervise the demolition exercise at Rumbek Secondary School, but some residents living around Rumbek Secondary School resisted the demolition exercise. They decided to attack the security forces and the surveyors with stones and sticks. So this resulted in shootings,” he said.
“One person sustained gunshot wounds in his stomach, and the other suffered mouth gunshot wounds. We are urging the residents of the Akuac area to vacate the area peacefully to allow the government to conduct the demolition exercise. The area belongs to Rumbek Secondary School,” he added.
Meanwhile, the State’s Acting Minister of Information, William Koji Kirjok, accused the residents of occupying the area illegally.
“These people are illegally occupying government land in Rumbek Secondary School, and the state government is telling everyone to return to his or her area of origin. This is government land,” Kirjok said.
“These people don’t have legal documents. They possess documents they acquired illegally from those who call themselves land owners in Rumbek town,” he added.
Commenting on the violent demolition exercise, civil society activist Daniel Laat Kon said seven people had been arrested during the demolition exercise.
“I can confirm that two people sustained injuries and seven others, including a civil society activist called Hakim Cipuounyic, have been arrested and taken to an unknown location,” Laat said.
According to the civil society activist, the angry residents obtained legal documents for the land around Rumbek Secondary School in 1992.
“Bulldozers are destroying concrete houses, and everyone has run away. Some people collapsed because of the shooting and heavy weapons used in the residential area during the clashes between the security forces and the angry residents,” he concluded.