A man identified as Ohiri Omiyang, 21, was shot and killed in Torit County’s Haforiere village in South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria State on Sunday following a disagreement between two youths at a drinking place which escalated into them picking up arms and exchanging gunfire, leaving one of them dead.
According to local authorities, the suspected killer, Ohuro Ongoro, has since surrendered to the army at the New Kenya SSPDF barracks.
Patrick Aiteng, the sub-chief in Haforiere, told Radio Tamazuj on Monday that the incident occurred at 11:30 p.m. on Sunday and attributed it to alcoholism.
“This incident happened on Sunday night when these boys were drinking alcohol and a fight erupted at the drinking place and they shot themselves,” he said. “The person who was killed is called Ohiri Omiyang, 21, and the person who killed him is called Ohuro Ongoro, 39. The suspect has surrendered to the authorities in New Kenya.”
“It is alcoholism that brought about all this,” Chief Aiteng added.
For his part, Galileo Ohide, the paramount chief of Hiyala Payam, confirmed the incident, saying the suspect killed the deceased in self-defense.
“There was a fight yesterday (Sunday) night and it was a family issue. One person called Ameyu quarreled with a relative called Ojum he went home to pick a gun that he wanted to use to shoot his elder brother Ojum,” he explained. “The one who died shot three bullets at Ojum who returned gunfire and killed the aggressor. The killer did not have any problem, he killed in self-defense.”
“I do not want violence and people should create awareness on gun handling because they are not good machines,” Chief Ohide added.
Meanwhile, Clementina Itwari Francis, a civil society activist in Eastern Equatoria State condemned the killings and urged authorities to regulate guns in villages.
“Why doesn’t the government institute rules and regulations to manage the use of firearms? It is really bad because the youth are finishing off each other because of alcohol. They drink and then fight and kill each other,” she stated. “Alcohol, especially this spirit called guu is not good.”