The Commissioner of Nagero County in Western Equatoria State has confirmed that more than 10,000 people have arrived in his county after ethnic violence erupted last week involving the section of Balanda and Azande in the neighboring Tombura County.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday, Commissioner Charles Nvolo said the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are currently surviving on mango fruits and that no camp has been established for them to stay.

“More people ran from Tombura to Nagero due to insecurity but there no camp has been opened for them yet like last year. This time they are staying with their relatives,” he explained. “They are about 10,000 and they are surviving on mangoes and it looks like the mangoes are getting finished.”

Nvolo said he believes the fighting is linked to last year’s conflict between the Balanda and Azande tribes in Western Equatoria.

“This is a continuation of the fighting in 2021, the Azande are fighting the Balanda, and so people have evacuated the County” he added.

He also said that government soldiers have been deployed to contain the situation in Tombura.

“The government has brought a lot of soldiers to places like Tombura, Sersibu, Namatina, and other places to contain the insecurity and also to prevent people from gathering in groups,” Nvolo stated.

Efforts to reach the county and state Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) officials for comment were not successful.

Relatedly, Commissioner Nvolo said there is still no accurate information about the whereabouts of a catholic priest based in Nagero, Fr. Luke Yugue, who disappeared on 26 April along the Nagero-Tombura road while traveling on a motorbike taxi.