Three individuals lost their lives, and three others sustained injuries during a violent clash in Mankien Payam, located in Mayom County, Unity State, on Thursday. The roots of this recent spate of killings can be traced back to incidents that occurred the previous week.
John Malith, the spokesperson for Unity State police, told Radio Tamazuj on Friday that the confrontation unfolded when two armed groups of youths, identified as a faction within Chiengwar, engaged in a lethal exchange of gunfire within Mankien Payam.
“The armed youths from Mankien within Mayom County were exchanging gunfire when another group of armed youths arrived at a residence. They began inquiring about the arrest of an individual from the group present at the home. The group at the residence refused to comply, leading to gunfire between the two factions. Three individuals were confirmed dead on the side of the group at the residence, and three others sustained injuries. Of the injuries, two were from the group at the residence, resulting in three deaths and one injury from the group that initiated the attack.”
“The injured individuals received treatment at Mankien Primary Health Care. The three deceased were identified as Tuach Puoch Kamwine, Malaih Jal Koang, and Koang Chiey Liem. Local authorities promptly took action against the perpetrators responsible for the three deaths, and security forces were deployed to Mankien Payam in response to the ongoing conflict,” explained Malith. “We initiated the deployment of security personnel and police forces to address the situation in the area following the incident on Thursday.”
Malith provided further details, stating, “The initial incident occurred around 12:00 PM, resulting in the loss of three lives. Chiengwar reported that all three deceased individuals belonged to their group, while the opposing side within Chiengwar recorded only injuries, with no reported deaths on their end.”
Despite the passage of several days since the incident, no arrests have been made. However, county police said they are actively pursuing those implicated in the altercation.
“No arrests have been made since Thursday, but the county police are actively searching for the groups involved in the recent altercation. We are putting in considerable effort to apprehend all those who participated in the fight,” Malith said.
Mayom County has been contending with a series of security challenges since 2022, largely stemming from armed youths involved in revenge killings.