The death toll from last weekend’s fighting in Tonj East County of Warrap State has risen to 148 with more than 140 injured, a local official said Thursday.
On Monday, at least 116 people were reported killed and 141 injured during two days of clashes between South Sudan's army and armed civilians in Tonj East County.
The violence was sparked by a disarmament exercise being carried out in the area.
“According to the latest report, we found that 63 soldiers have been killed and 48 others injured. On the side of civilians, 85 civilians have been killed and 94 others sustained injuries,” Makuei Mabior Dhuol, the Executive Director of Tonj East County, told Radio Tamazuj.
Mabior said a market in Romic where the fighting started was looted and shops were burned to the ground.
According to the local official, traders in Romic have lost properties estimated at millions of South Sudanese Pounds as a result of looting and destruction.
“The market was fully destroyed. A Sudanese trader was also killed and two others sustained injuries,” said Makuei Mabior. “I have asked the traders to estimate their losses and come to me with their papers.”
On Monday, Mabior said the fighting began on Saturday after the soldiers ordered some youth in Romic market to surrender a red scarf they were holding. He revealed that refusal to surrender the scarf triggered an exchange of words, then fighting.
Lul Ruai Koang, the SSPDF spokesman, said he had not received an update from their commander in Tonj on the latest number of people killed on both sides.
He revealed that the military leadership has formed a committee to ascertain what exactly triggered the fighting. He said two soldiers have been arrested in connection with the incident.
UN patrol sent to Tonj East
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Wednesday the world body's peacekeeping mission in South Sudan dispatched a patrol to Tonj East.
“The patrol includes both military and civilian peacekeepers. They are engaging with local authorities and community leaders to prevent further violence and help with reconciliation efforts,” Dujarric said in a statement.
“A human rights team is also on the ground to carry out an investigation. The UN patrol will also visit Romich, a village in Tonj East that was directly impacted by the violence, to assess the security situation there,” he concluded.