Eight Killed Over Farm Dispute In Torit
At least eight people have been killed after clashes erupted between two communities in Torit, Eastern Equatoria State, officials have confirmed. 28 April 2013 By Peter Lokale Nakimangole TORIT, 28 April 2013 [Gurtong] – Six people from Omorwo village and two from Bari village have been confirmed killed after a dispute erupted over ownership of farming fields lying between Omorwo and Bari settlements at Loudo area in Bur Payam. According to Torit County Commissioner, German Charles Ojok residents from the two villages of Omorwo and Bari confronted each other at midday yesterday and the clashes are still continuing between the two villages of Omorwo and Bari. The commissioner who spoke to Gurtong this morning in Torit disclosed that the deadly clash happened when he was travelling to the villages in question for a different mission but regrettably coincided with the tension. The dispute which could have been resolved amicably deteriorated badly leading to the death of the eight people including three innocent women dead while several confirmed wounded, he lamented. The Torit County Executive Director Cyprian Michael Oling assured that the county government has been on the ground to reverse the issue including pursuit of criminals in addition to collection of guns of those responsible for the crimes. He is accompanying the commissioner this morning to the disputed villages in a move to intervene as police forces have been sent to contain the situation from escalating further. The two leaders have confirmed to Gurtong that among the deceased ones are SPLA deserters who escaped from Jonglei search on David Yaua Yau’s activities as well as disarming communities in Jonglei state recently. The Eastern Equatoria State government has come out strongly denying a report that David Yau Yau rebels from Jonglei state were fighting the state government in Budi County’s Lorema village. Addressing the press at Torit Freedom Square, the state Minister of Public Administration and Internal Affairs Claudio Suleiman Liling strongly dismissed claims which have been speculated across the media outlets that the raiders at Lorema in Budi County were deserters from David Yau Yau. The Minister was responding to questions posed by journalists over the issue which have been speculated across the country that army deserters were fighting the government in the Budi County. Instead, though with doubt, the Minister believes some former SPLA forces could be among the resisters who repelled the government forces at Lorema during an operation to recover stolen livestock. The armed forces were sent by the state government to and recover raided cattle from Bira community on 13 April 2013 by a section of criminals from the area. The move followed government forces sent to the area’s Kikilai where suspects were caught raiding Bira community but the government forces who officially sent to arrest those responsible for a cattle raid on 13 April reported to have clashed with a different village; Lorema leaving Kikilai, local community representatives disclosed. The Minister has called on the people to maintain calm as the state government seeks ways to arrest suspects of the recent violence in Budi and Ikwoto counties. At least 13 people including organised forces killed and three others wounded in a cattle raid attack at Napeyase Boma of Losite Payam in Ikwotos, the State officials announced. Out of the 13, eight were organized forces and five were raiders from Budi County. According to officials, raiders from Didinga in Budi County attacked and raided Napeyase at around midday on Saturday 13 of April 13 2013 while the state Governor Louis Lobong Lojore was holding a meeting with the community of Napeyase Boma. Posted in: Home, Governance -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
