At least one person was killed and another one injured when they were ambushed by youths suspected to be from the Olianga clan along the Hiyalla-Oguruny road in Eastern Equatoria State’s Torit County.
Officials say a man identified only as Ohia, 27, was killed and his younger brother identified as Okito sustained injuries in the attack.
Ofere Sisto, the Boma Chief of Iloli, told Radio Tamazuj that suspected youth from Olianga laid an ambush against the youth of Iloli who were heading to Hiyalla to witness the marriage of their daughter.
“Yesterday(Tuesday) at around 7 am, this incident happened along Hiyalla road there. There were six youths from Olianga and Oguruny who were staying in Hiyalla there. They got information that these people were going for a marriage of one of our ladies from Iloli here,” he explained. “They were going to Hiyalla to be shown their cattle but they fell in an ambush of these people gunning the down; Ohia dies, and his brother Okito was injured.”
According to Local authorities, the youth of Olianga have been planning for a revenge killing after their brother known as Juma was killed along Hiyala Oguruny road where they accuse the youth of Iloli killing their youth
The Paramount Chief of Hiyalla Payam, Galileo Ohide, confirms the incident describing it as a revenge attack. He said the youths killed the man to revenge the death of one of their own known as Juma who was killed along the Hiyalla-Oguruny road.
“These people were making their preparation for them to come and witness the marriage of their daughter. The youth of Olianga went from Hiyala to lay an ambush, around this time at around 8 am. They came and fell in the ambush and exchanged fire and shot two people from Iloli. The youth from Olianga came to revenge their brother Juma who was killed along the road of Ikotos, Oguruny, Hiyalla, and Iloli after an incident that involved the two villages,” he revealed.
Chief Ohide said tensions are high between the two clans and called for government intervention.
He, however, urged communities in Hiyalla to desist from revenge attacks and encouraged them to identify and report perpetrators to the concerned authorities.
The chief cautioned them against withholding information regarding criminals saying it only breeds a culture of violence.
Jacob Attari Albino, Torit County Commissioner also decried the lack of cooperation by the communities in curbing insecurity.
“The issue of these villages, Hiyalla, Haforiere, Oguruny, and Iloli, it would have been better when they were cooperating with the government then it will be easy for us the government to arrest the perpetrators but you find these villages they are supporting these criminals,” Commissioner Attari said.