Hundreds of citizens took to the streets in the Northern Bahr el Ghazal State capital, Awiel, on Friday morning, killing at least one Sudanese in the Maper Akot area, in response to the gruesome murder of South Sudanese civilians in Sudan’s Al Jazirah State.
Following the recapture of Wad Medani, the capital of Al Jazirah State from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) last weekend, videos of elements of Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and their allied militia torturing, slaughtering, beheading, and in some instances, shooting and killing South Sudanese and other foreigners surfaced and went viral on social media, drawing anger and condemnation.
The South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF), police, and other organized forces deployed heavily in Aweil to control the angry mobs from further killings and destruction of markets. The forces were seen chasing the protestors back to their homes.
Several South Sudanese families confirmed that their relatives who were stranded in Al Jazirah were slaughtered by elements from the SAF, a report Radio Tamazuj cannot verify independently.
David Aguer said he lost his father-in-law in the massacre a few days after the Sudanese Armed Forces and their allied militias recaptured the state from the Rapid Support Forces. The deceased according to Aguer, was killed days after several South Sudanese were killed.
“Garang Yor, 45, my father-in-law was killed in an area called Makaraba in Sudan’s Al Jazirah State when he and others wanted to investigate the killing of four South Sudanese,” he said.
For her part, Maria Abuk Ayii, an Aweil resident, held the Sudanese government responsible for the atrocities and called for the protection of civilians.
“This problem of Sudan is a great crime and we expected the leadership to control civilians from killing South Sudanese,” she stated. “The Sudanese civilians are now here living freely and enjoying our resources provided by humanitarian agencies.”
Meanwhile, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State Police Spokesman Captain Guot Guot said he was too busy to comment because the situation is very tense and fragile.
“I am very busy now…I am very busy. There is another burning there!” he said.