Authorities in Warrap State said 13 people were killed and 12 others wounded in the restive Tonj East County clash between the Akok and the Luachjang communities on Friday.
The authorities said the clash followed another on August 9 when armed Luachjang youth attacked the Akok, prompting a confrontation that claimed 10 lives and left four others wounded from both sides.
Tonj East County Executive Director Martin Mum told Radio Tamazuj Saturday that the Friday fighting occurred when armed youth from Akok section attacked the Luachjang community.
“Seven people were killed from the Akok and six from the Luachjang. The Akok section had four wounded people, while eight were wounded on the Luachjang side, “he explained.
Tonj East County Police Officer Deng Madut confirmed the incident.
“There was fighting yesterday from morning until evening between the Akok and the Luachjang communities in which 13 people from both sides were killed. There is still tension but information circulating is hard to verify,” he said.
Madut said that the security situation had returned to normal though there was no government intervention.
A Warrap State MP, Moses Madot, recounted the genesis of the fighting as revenge for the murder of a man and his wife from the Akok community by armed Luachjang youth last May. The incident prompted the first revenge attack in June. Since then the cycle of revenge has persisted.