The chief of Dendor, a village on the outskirts of Langkien town in Jonglei State’s Nyirol County, has been killed in a revenge attack over an incident that occurred twenty years ago.

Chief Reat Duoth Bel was shot dead while heading for his house in Dendor Boma on Wednesday night. The suspect in the killing has been identified as 15-year-old Bang Lony.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, Nyirol County Commissioner James Bol Makuey said the teenage murder suspect was avenging his father who was killed in 2004 by a relative to the deceased Chief Reat.

“The boy who killed this headman from Thol Payam hails from Tut Payam. The boy killed the headman to avenge his father who was killed twenty years ago by a relative of the deceased,” Bol said, adding, “An investigation is now going on and the murder suspect is already identified as a boy called Bang Lony and he is being pursued to be arrested.”

The county commissioner called for calm and restraint.

“Everyone else was shocked because the incident occurred twenty years ago and it was settled, with blood compensation having been paid,” he stated. “I urge that revenge killings be stopped, not only in Nyirol, but in South Sudan as a whole, and this points to a need for a strong judiciary system.”

On his part, Biel Jiek Lual, the county information director, said a manhunt is ongoing for the suspect and that the aggrieved family has been urged to remain calm as the law takes its course.