South Sudan, May 2 — Authorities in Warrap State confirmed that 16 people were killed and 16 others injured Thursday during a communal clash in Tonj South County, marking one of the deadliest recent episodes of intercommunal violence in the region.
According to Warrap State Minister of Information and Communication James Ayiek Bath, the violence was fueled by ongoing cycles of revenge killings and cattle raiding. He said joint government forces arrived later Thursday to quell the fighting, but tension remained high.
“The communal fight occurred on Thursday morning when the communities of Apuk Jurwiir, Yar, and Muok attacked the Thony community in Manyang Ngok Payam,” Ayiek said. “Sixteen people were killed from both sides and 16 others were seriously injured.”
He attributed the conflict to longstanding grievances and recurring disputes over cattle rustling among neighboring communities.
Riing Deng Adiing, commissioner of Tonj South County, described the attack as coordinated and said the situation was eventually brought under control by security forces. He confirmed that injured individuals were receiving treatment at separate health facilities across the county to avoid further clashes.
“It was a lengthy fight in which we lost 16 armed youth,” Adiing said. “Due to the hatred between these communities, we decided to separate the patients in different health centers.”
Officials noted that Tonj South County had been relatively calm in recent months compared to other areas in the Tonj region.
