A male Sudanese refugee was on Tuesday night stabbed to death after an altercation at a camp in the Wedwil area of Aweil West County in Northern Bahr el State, officials said.
The deputy chairperson of the Sudanese refugee community at Wedwil Refugee Camp, Gadim Ismael Omer, told Radio Tamazuj Wednesday that the deceased, Issa Adam Mahmud, 24, was knifed by a fellow refugee identified as Al-Thaher Razig Ahmed, 23 after they developed a misunderstanding after consuming alcohol.
“Someone called Issa Adam was killed by another one identified as Al-Thaher Raziq. The incident happened at 9 pm on Tuesday while they were drunk,” he said. “The deceased succumbed to his injuries shortly after he was stabbed.”
According to the refugee leader, the suspect was detained by the police and relocated to Aweil town. He said a delegation of refugee leaders traveled from the camp to Aweil town on Wednesday to follow the case.
Meanwhile, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State Police Commissioner Major General Philp Madut Tong confirmed the apprehension of the accused and said investigations into the matter commenced on Wednesday morning.
“A dispute-based incident occurred last (Tuesday) night at around 9 pm at the Wedwil Refugee Camp between two youths and one was stabbed to death,” he said. “On Wednesday morning we apprehended the suspect and we are investigating him for more details in connection with the crime.”
“The situation is calm at the campsite,” Gen. Madut added.
For his part, Dut Majokdit, the chairperson of the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, said the state is hosting over 7,000 Sudanese refugees who fled the conflict in their country and sought sanctuary in South Sudan.
“Northern Bahr el Ghazal State is hosting Sudanese refugees who crossed to South Sudan via Northern Bahr el Ghazal following the ongoing war and resultant crises in Sudan which created mass displacements of people,” he explained. “Both the returnees and refugees are looking for safety and based on the humanitarian international law, the Government of South Sudan is hosting 7,649 refugees in the Wedwil area.”