Authorities in Kapoeta East County of South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria State say tensions have heightened between the Toposa of South Sudan and Turkana of Kenya after reported border clashes.
In the fresh clashes on Tuesday and Wednesday, officials say, about 13 people were killed and the border post has been closed, stalling transport between the two countries.
Abdalla Angelo, Kapoeta East Commissioner, claimed that Turkana youths encroached on Toposa grazing lands, causing a fight in which 13 Toposa youths lost their lives.
He further claimed that four people, a Toposa man, and three Turkana youths, sustained injuries and were being treated at the Kapoeta Hospital and Lokichoggio, Kenya.
“It happened yesterday (Wednesday) at 3:10 pm because our people said there is not any problem they decided to go back to their places. These people (Turkana) started shooting our people and our people fought back and chased them up to their barracks. Five people were killed,” he explained. “The day before yesterday (Tuesday) eight people were killed.”
“We are now on alert and patrols will continue until organized forces are deployed. The Kenyans are saying that Nadapal is now their county and Nakodo is a payam. We will take the case to the court that is why we are serious about this issue unless the government makes patrol and forms a border committee,” he added.
Jeff Longoria, a member of parliament in Eastern Equatoria State representing the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) who hails from Kapoeta, confirmed the incident and said that Toposa youths repulsed the Turkana youths after fierce clashes.
Paul Napwon Yunai, the chairperson of the Toposa Community, said a 13-member committee has been set up to meet the president over the alarming border conflict in Nadapal.
He explained that the meeting with President Salva Kiir is to find a peaceful solution to the alarming situation in Nadapal.
“We are preparing to meet the president on the same issue maybe tomorrow. This is a committee composed of the youth from Kapoeta, then the MPs from the state and MPs in the national government from Eastern Equatoria,” he noted. “We need an amicable solution to the current problem that is going on. The Kenyan forces occupying Nadapal have to go back to their original position somewhere else in Lokichoggio so that it allows the technical joint committee and South Sudan to go ahead in limitation and demarcation of the border.”
For his part, Peter Lokeng Lotone, Eastern Equatoria State local government minister, urged the Toposa youths to avoid revenge and let the government settle the matter.
Last week, hundreds of Kapoeta East County residents peacefully demonstrated after Kenya deployed soldiers on South Sudanese territory claiming that the border between the two countries is in the Nakodok area of Kapoeta East County. The protestors were later supported by some state parliamentarians who said that the national government’s silence on the matter implied that South Sudanese territory had been ceded and or sold to Kenya.
Efforts to reach Kenyan authorities for comment were futile.