2 dead, 3 wounded in inter-communal clashes in Gok State

At least two people were killed and three others wounded in inter-communal clashes between the Panawur and Panaguong sections at Makuac cattle camp in Duony County in South Sudan’s Gok State over the weekend, a local official said.

At least two people were killed and three others wounded in inter-communal clashes between the Panawur and Panaguong sections at Makuac cattle camp in Duony County in South Sudan’s Gok State over the weekend, a local official said.

Mathew Chol Monydhel, Director of Radio at the State Ministry of Information, told Radio Tamazuj that at least two people were killed and three others wounded in inter-communal clashes between the Panawur and Panaguong sections of the Dinka tribe at Makuach cattle camp located about 5 kilometres away from the state capital Cueibet on Sunday.

The official further said one person was killed from the Panaguong side while two men sustained injuries from the Panawur section.

Chol pointed out that the wounded people were taken to Cueibet Hospital for treatment. He attributed the cause of the clashes between the two sections to unresolved revenge killings in July in which about 14 people were killed on both sides.

He noted that some local youth who were accused of involvement in killings are being held inside the state prison awaiting trial. 

The motive behind the incident remains elusive .Last month, the governor of Gok State Madhang Majok Meen removed three ministers, commissioner of the state headquarters and secretary general.

No replacement has been made so far. The remaining officials are State Ministers of Health, Physical Infrastructure, Finance, Agriculture, and Finance Minister Daniel Chol Koknyin who went to Juba, besides the Agricultural Minister William Manyuon Wantok and Minister of Physical Infrastructure John Marik Makur who travelled to Wau State last week.

 The state government remained with only one minister and Governor Madhang Majok, which makes it difficult to take any decision on matters related to insecurity in the absence of the state cabinet.