Local authorities in Mayom County of Unity state and Twic County, Warrap State on Wednesday said 5 people, including a 4-month-old baby, were on Tuesday killed in Twic County, Warrap State, after the vehicle they were traveling came under fire from vigilante youth and organized forces.   

Three commuter vehicles were ferrying passengers to Mayom County from Juba via Warrap State when one of them was shot at in Aweng Payam of Twic County.

James Chuol, the Mayom County commissioner, faulted a group comprising youth and organized forces for the shooting and said the other two cars were not shot at.

"In the incident of Twic, they killed 2 women, a 4-month-old child, and 2 men on Tuesday. The people who were in the other two cars were brought to Ajak Kuec untouched and that one car was completely destroyed,” he said. “I have just talked to Twic executive director this (Wednesday) morning and I will send people to bring the ruined car and the dead bodies.”

“There is no reason for killing people just because they are Nuer. Those who killed them were a combination of police, armed youth, and some soldiers from SSPDF,” he added.

For his part, Joseph Taban, the Twic County executive director who is acting commissioner, denied that the ethnic Nuer passengers were targeted but said the youth were suspicious that the vehicles were transporting ammunitions to Abyei youth who have been clashing with their Twic counterparts.

"The report came to me that three cars were carrying ammunitions that belong to Abyei and when they were stopped for security check to prove whether it is a right or wrong report, in the process, one car drove away and the security opened a fire until five people died there,” he said.

He said the other 26 passengers are fine and were taken to Ajak Kuec to be received by Mayom County authorities.

“The other cars were taken to Mayom and nobody touched the two cars and passengers, only the suspected car that drove away and the people were killed on the basis of suspicion,” he added.