To cement peace between the Ayual and Daichuek communities of Jonglei State’s Twic East County, 1,616 head of cattle have been exchanged in compensation for individuals killed and injured when members of the two rival communities engaged in deadly fighting over a decade ago.
On 3 March 2011, a dispute over the ownership of the Wangole area saw members of the Ayual and Daichuek communities engage in deadly clashes resulting in the death of 30 people, including an SSPDF soldier, and the injury of 35 other people. Since then, the High Court and traditional courts in the state have been working to find a settlement between the two communities.
Twic East County Commissioner Jacob Chol Tor told Radio Tamazuj Friday that the long history of discord between the two communities has now been settled with the exchange of 1,616 head of cattle as blood compensation.
“During the incident, 16 people were killed from Ayual and 13 from Daichuek while one soldier from the SSPDF who had intervened to de-escalate the fighting was also killed. 35 other people were injured from both sides,” he said. “From October last year to 18 January this year, we completed the compensation process. Each family of the people 30 killed received 51 cows as blood compensation according to the local custom.”
“The wounded were compensated depending on the level of their injuries, ranging from 1 to 6 cows or more,” Commissioner Chol added.
He pointed out that the compensation process marked the beginning of genuine peace in Twic East County.
“The two communities are satisfied with the compensation process, meaning no one will hold any grudges against anyone else and the fate of the disputed land has also been addressed because the land belongs to the government,” Chol stated.
Ayual Community Chief Bol Manyok Duot and his Daichuek counterpart, Chief Barnaba Dau Reec Deng, lauded the compensation as a gesture of peace and said that the two communities were now ready to bury any grudges.