At least eight lives were lost in a violent clash between two armed groups in Wangkei Payam of Mayom County, Unity State. The origins of this recent bout of revenge killings can be traced back to incidents that occurred last year.
John Malith, the Unity State police spokesperson, told Radio Tamazuj on Thursday that the confrontation began when two groups of armed youths, identified as Chiengduop and Chiengbakam, engaged in a deadly exchange of gunfire within Wangkei Payam.
Malith reported, “The two armed youths from Wangkei within Mayom County have been exchanging gunfire when we arrived at the payam headquarters. They were shooting at themselves. Eight people were confirmed dead. No other injuries to ordinary people have been recorded.”
Local authorities took swift action by deploying security forces to Wangkay Payam in response to the ongoing conflict. Malith explained, “We started deploying the security personnel and police force to overcome the situation in the area after the incident occurred on Monday.”
He further elaborated, “The initial incident transpired around 9:00 in the morning, leading to the loss of eight men’s lives. Chiengduop recorded dead and Chiengbakam recorded five dead on the spot.”
Despite several days passing since the incident, no arrests have been made. However, county police are actively seeking to apprehend those involved in the altercation. Malith confirmed, “No one has been arrested since Monday, but the county police are on the lookout for two groups who were involved in a fight this week. We are working hard to apprehend all those who were involved in the fight.”
Mayom County has been grappling with a series of security-related challenges since 2022, often attributed to armed youths engaged in revenge killings.
In response to the tragic incident, Thijin Yian, Chairperson of the Civil Society Network in Unity State, offered heartfelt condolences to the grieving families. Yian stated, “We extend our condolences to the relatives who have lost their loved ones.”
He also called for government intervention, emphasizing the need for the national government to deploy unified forces to areas plagued by violence, such as Mayom, which has witnessed five cases of revenge killings since the start of the year.