13 killed in Duk County violence

At least 13 people have been killed and 26 others injured in fighting between young men from Duk County and neighbouring Twic East County in South Sudan’s Jonglei State, local officials said.

The fighting continued for much of Thursday in Apiir Palaadhiim village, near the Jonglei Canal in Duk Payuel.

The latest violence is part of a wider conflict between communities in the two counties that has persisted for several years, with intermittent clashes reported in recent weeks.

Former Duk County Commissioner John Chatim Ruei told Radio Tamazuj on Friday that 13 young men from Duk had been killed and 26 others injured.

“Fighting has stopped and 13 Duk youths were killed and 26 others injured,” he said. “Searches are still ongoing and the death toll could increase. As for the Twic East side, we don’t know the number killed or injured.”

James Magol Mabiei, a former Twic East county commissioner, confirmed that fighting had taken place but said he did not have further details because he had left the county following the recent dissolution of the government.

Civil society activist Bol Deng Bol, chair of the National Civil Society Coalition, condemned the renewed violence and called for urgent government intervention.

He said repeated clashes are taking a heavy toll on communities in the two counties and accused the government of failing to address the causes of the conflict.

“These fights have been ongoing since 2023 after being neglected by the government, which has failed to solve them,” Bol said. “I appeal to the caretaker government to prioritise this issue and resolve it through dialogue.”

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