South Sudan’s Vice President James Wani Igga cancelled a visit to Malakal town after violence erupted in the UN camp on Thursday morning.
Initial reports indicate that at least three persons have been killed as of Thursday early afternoon and more than 20 injured, with some of those injured receiving treatment at the UN mission’s hospital.
The violence flared up between two communities in the early hours of Thursday morning, following a stabbing incident.
Igga, who is also the deputy chairperson of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) Party, was scheduled to arrive in Malakal town of Upper Nile State on Thursday morning.
He was delegated by President Salva Kiir to tour the restive state as the country prepares for general elections in December 2024.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj this afternoon, the State Minister of Information Luk Saadallah Deng said the Vice President for Economic Cluster’s visit to Malakal had been cancelled due to the violence that erupted in the UN camp in Malakal.
“The planned visit of the Vice President was cancelled because of the violent incidents that occurred in the Malakal POC, so this is the main reason. The state government want to control the security situation first and the visit has been rescheduled,” he explained.
The official said the state government had convened a security meeting and deployed security forces to quell violence.
“Those who left the UN camp after the fighting are now outside. They have been brought to one place in Malakal town. The violence involved the Nuer and Shilluk communities,” the minister said.
According to Deng, state authorities have also imposed a dawn-until-dusk curfew in the wake of violence in Malakal until further notice.
Reacting to the violence in Malakal, Edmund Yakani, a civil society activist, expressed deep concern over reports of fighting at the Protection of Civilians (POC) site in Malakal.
“I condemn the violence in Malakal POC among the conflicting parties. I want to call on the parties to cease violence and hostilities immediately,” he stressed.
The South Sudanese activist appealed to the two communities to resolve their differences in non-violence and dialogue.
“Dialogue is the best way of resolving differences. I also call upon the leaders who come from Upper Nile to urgently intervene through holding a meeting on how to help the two communities resolve their differences,” he concludes.