One person was shot and killed in Nyal in Panyijar county of South Sudan’s Unity state on Wednesday following a fight which took place while people were registering for a food distribution.
Thousands of people gathered on Tuesday to register for a food distribution when a group of young men meant to control the crowd started beating some civilians, according to a source.
The witness said there were many White Army present at the food distribution and there were complaints about people skipping the line as well as slow movement of the process. Some people fainted in the heat too.
“Everyone was frustrated and the crowd controllers were whipping women and kids with slim branches,” the source said.
The abuse reportedly led to a fight between one of the crowd controllers and a man waiting in line. The next morning clashes broke out in Nyal market for about 10 minutes with about fifty shots fired, resulting in one death.
“Apparently the guy who fought with the crowd-controller had come back that morning armed and when he refused to give up his weapon in the market he opened fire and killed a bodyguard of the area commander and wounded someone else. Then he fled,” the source said.
Armed men mobilized in Nyal and rushed to the scene, and the killer’s family fled the town. The food registration was called off for that day as the town became deserted amid tension and fear of more violence.
According to one resident it will be a revenge issue that won’t be resolved until the culprit is found or scores are settled with his relatives.
The food registration and distribution was organized by the World Food Programme and German Agro Action (Welthungerhilfe). WFP has been distributing free food to residents and displaced people in Nyal since last year.
File photo: food distribution in Bentiu