At least five people were killed when Ikotos county youth clashed with Lodwara village youth in South Sudan's Eastern Equatoria State last Wednesday.
The youth leader of Ikotos County Abraham Lokoromotoch who was at the scene told Radio Tamazuj that six people were injured but four who sustained critical injuries are receiving treatment at the St Theresa Isohe hospital.
He claims the youth were following the footsteps of suspected gunmen who killed a businessman and it led them to the Lodwara Tala area where they clashed with the youth there.
“From our side, I can confirm that two people were shot and killed while from the other side two were killed and one woman. Five people got killed. From our side, there are four people injured but we don’t know from that side," he said.
Lokoromotoch claimed Ikotos youth left seven motorbikes at the scene as they went peacefully to resolve the matter, but were violently attacked. He urged the government to intervene in such an effort to avoid confrontation.
Radio Tamazuj could not reach Lodwara Talla's chief to respond to the allegations.
However, Ikotos county police inspector Warrant officer Gabriel Arok Akom and blamed Ikotos youth for involving the police in the search.
“Some civilians killed a trader along the road and it was confirmed that these were the people of Talla. When the brother to the late brought the information here, these youth also went in a wrong way. They woke up at night and went to the area without informing the government," he said.
He confirmed the incident but said they had not yet received the names of the casualties.