The authorities in Lakes State have revealed that the death toll in last month’s clashes between armed youths from Rumbek North County of Lakes State and the Luacjang community of Tonj East County in Warrap State has risen to 151.
The acting police spokesperson in Lakes State, Lt. Moses Machuoc Bol, told Radio Tamazuj Monday that the death toll in Rumbek North County alone is recorded at 126 and 52 others wounded.
“All together those who died are 151 and the injured on both sides are 67. Some of the wounded people from Rumbek North County are receiving treatment in Rumbek Civil Hospital while the minor cases are being treated in Mapier in Rumbek North,” he said. “The situation is now calm although there are rumors of tension around the area of Rumbek North County.”
Lt. Machuoc said the Lakes State authorities have deployed organized forces along the border of Rumbek North County and Tonj East County to check the violence.
Meanwhile, Warrap State Information Minister William Wol Mayom said 25 people died from the side of the Luacjang community in Tonj East County and that 15 people were wounded including 2 children and 1 woman.
“74 head of cattle were killed in crossfire and 60 others were raided by the armed youth from the Pakam section during the clashes,” he said. “The clashes were triggered by a build-up by the two communities of Pakam and Luacjang and the deadly road ambush which left 5 killed people from Luacjang. This resulted in an attack on the Panyang and Malith cattle camps on 20 February. The situation then escalated with all-out clashes.”
For his part, the acting information minister in Lakes State, William Koji Kirjok, said the general security situation is now normal.
“The government forces have been deployed to protect the lives and property of the Rumbek North County community and we are urging the government of Warrap State to control their youth,” he said. “We are one people in the same region and we are all people of South Sudan so there is no reason to kill ourselves.”