The police and authorities of Aweil West County in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State have confirmed that a Sudanese pastoralist was shot and killed in Achan Payam on Thursday morning.

According to police reports, 35-year-old Abdelkarim Musa Mohammed from the Rizeigat community was killed by Adudu Akuar Mou of the Dinka Malual who was attacked by the victim and three other Rizeigat pastoralists who managed to escape.

Deng Mathon Akot, a police officer in the county said, "What happened at 1:45 am in the area of Gori was that the suspect Adudu Akuar Mou was attacked by four assailants from Rizeigat section. So he killed Abdelkarim Musa Mohammed 35. All four pastoralists were armed and the murderer was in a position of self-defense."

He noted that organized forces had been deployed to the crime scene to quell tensions and that Akuar is being held at Nyamlel prison as investigations are conducted.

However, a representative of the Rizeigat community in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, Mahmud Al-Sadiq Saad said the pastoralist met his death while looking for his lost cattle.

“According to the information I have, the Rizeigat man was looking for his lost cows. He rode his camel and searched the cows until after sunset. He was on his way back to his camp when a man met him on the way and shot him dead," he added.

He also urged his community members to shun any revenge plans after the incident and uphold good neighborly relations with the Dinka Malual.

William Kolong Pioth, the coordinator for peace and reconciliation in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State has condemned the incident and called on the two communities to maintain peace.