The local authorities in Kapoeta East County, Eastern Equatoria State, are investigating an attack that led to the shooting and injury of an 18-year-old male whose name was withheld in the Longorinyang gold mining area on Saturday by attackers suspected to have come from Budi County.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, Commissioner Abdalla Angelo Lokeno accused Didinga youth of the attack and said the injured man is currently receiving treatment at Kapoeta Hospital and will be referred to Kenya for further management.
“On Saturday), youth from Didinga attacked people who were mining and shot at them in the Longorinyang gold mining area of Napotpot and the incident happened between 1 and 2 p.m. An 18-year-old man was shot and injured and there is a need for him to be referred to Kenya,” he said. “People should live in peace and accept to co-exist and refrain from tribalism, hatred and threatening lives. Enough of killing, theft, and violence. We also urge them to co-exist with us and for Toposa to be able to live in Didinga land and also for them to live in Toposa land.”
When contacted, Alfred Odong, the Executive Director in Budi County, denied that youth from his area were responsible for the attack.
“Up to today, we have not received any information of that kind but what I know is our people from this side of Budi border Kapoeta East and they have been involved in peace processes,” he said. “They are even repairing the road linking Napotpot and Machi of Buchi and the people are in Machi now together with the Toposa. I do not know how that information came about but we will try to get people from there so that they give us the right information.”
Meanwhile, Wodkan Savior Lazarus, an activist who is also the executive director of the support Peace Initiative Development Organization (SPIDO) condemned the attack, saying the miners are trying to make a living amidst the economic crisis the country is grappling with.
“We strongly condemned these kinds of actions because it is very inhumane and no one deserves to kill another when everyone is struggling to put food on the table due to the harsh economic situation,” he stated. “We call upon the state authorities to speed up the investigation so that the perpetrators are brought to book such that such attacks are not repeated.”