At least two people were killed and another injured during sectional clashes between the Ibahure and Lohutok villages of Lafon County, Eastern Equatoria State, on Wednesday, local officials said.
The youths from Ibahure village are said to have launched an early morning attack on Lomuloro village in the Lohutok area. County authorities said they are now investigating the root cause of the long-running revenge attacks between the two communities.
Magisto Ukachi Agweri, the commissioner of Lafon County, told Radio Tamazuj that the clashes happened at 5 am and that the cyclic killings in the area were negatively affecting agricultural activities.
“In the eastern part of the county, especially Ibahure and Lohutok, the agricultural activities are affected as a result of tensions between the two communities,” he explained. “On 7 June, there was a clash between Ibahure and Lohutok which resulted in the death of two people and wounding of another. The conflict between Ibahure and Lohutok has lasted for centuries as a result of lack of trust.”
“Even if there is a minor thing which has been addressed by peaceful dialogue, you find each community still resorting to taking up arms,” he added.
He however said that the county authorities were working hard to calm the situation.
“The county authority is trying to deescalate the tension then what will follow will be to trace the ring leaders.
Meanwhile, Ohure Peter, the youth leader of the Lopit community said the ongoing conflict has caused panic and many people are in hiding.
“Two people are dead in Ibahure and one is now in Imehejek hospital. The incident has terrorized the whole area and most of the people not carrying out their normal activities,” he said. “Most of them have gone for the funerals and they are worried. We are trying to tell the youth from Lohutok and Ibahure to be calm not kill themselves.”
Charles Onen Tokwaru, the chairperson of the civil society network in Eastern Equatoria State condemned the killings and appealed to the two communities not to take the law into their hands but rather to seek dialogue and reconciliation.
“It is very unfortunate that our communities are having a lot of conflicts at the moment. We call on our communities to refrain from taking the law into their hands,” he advised. “Through dialogue and forgiveness, we can achieve an everlasting peace.”
In May last year, a similar case of revenge attack occurred between the two communities and resulted in the killing of one person.
In December 2021, the Catholic Diocese of Torit under the leadership of Bishop Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla conducted a peace dialogue between the Ibahure and Lohutok aimed at reconciling the two warring communities, but the resolutions were never honored.