At least 30,000 residents have been displaced from their homes in Nasser town, the headquarters of Nasir County, to surrounding villages following an incident involving civilians and the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) on Wednesday.
Nasir town in Upper Nile State witnessed unrest on Wednesday as sounds of heavy artillery were heard. Three civilians were injured, one critically, and 30,000 others were forced to flee their homes.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Friday, Duol Kun Thien, the Nasser County Commissioner, said the security situation has been restored to normalcy, but the humanitarian situation remains dire.
He explained that the conflict between the army and civilians on Wednesday stemmed from an accidental shooting of an SSPDF soldier by a civilian on June 20. “Two local youths who went hunting in the bush accidentally wounded a soldier. We immediately transferred the soldier to Juba for further treatment, but he succumbed to his wounds on Wednesday. When the news reached the soldiers in Nasser, they began shelling civilian areas. Three civilians were wounded, including one critically,” Duol stated.
He added, “We intervened and stopped the shooting. Youth who had come from surrounding villages to fight were asked to retreat, and the soldiers have returned to their barracks.”
The county commissioner also highlighted the dire humanitarian situation. “More than 30,000 people, mainly women and children, were displaced by the shelling to surrounding villages of Keatbeek and Koat. Their situation is dire, and we appeal to humanitarian organizations to intervene,” Duol emphasized.