18 officers killed as SSPDF contingent ‘finished’ during fighting with civilians in Tonj

JUBA – More than 25 people including high-ranking officers of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) have been killed and dozens injured in clashes involving soldiers and civilians in the country’s Warrap state over the weekend, a state official said.

Riing Deng Adiing, Warrap state minister of information, told Sudans Post in an exclusive interview that the deadly violence erupted over the weekend when armed youth from Rualbet raided over 100 cattle from Konggor.

Deng explained that the soldiers intervened to recover the stolen cattle, but the armed youth resisted, and fighting immediately erupted.

“It was on Thursday last week that criminals from Rualbet and Akop Payams ganged up and went to Aliek Payam of Konggor and raided over 100 cattle and they divided them among selves, and the acting commissioner of Tonj North County ordered the forces to recover stolen cattle,” Deng said.

“When soldiers confiscated the cattle and brought them to their base, the soldiers were attacked and overrun by armed youth,” he added.

Deng said those high-ranking officials killed include Military chief of Intelligence, Lt. Col Akec Ciman, and SSPDF Division 11 Military Chief for Operation, Maj. Santino Kuot Kuotdit and the former Mayen Jur County commissioner Kuol Agok.

“18 high ranking officers from South Sudan People Defense Force and 7 armed youth were killed on Saturday during fighting between soldiers and armed youth in Rual bet Payam of Tonj North County over the weekend,” Deng said.

“Armed Civilians dispersed them until the soldiers regrouped themselves along the main road and armed youth still surrounded and killed them until 18 both senior and junior officers were killed and some went missing in the action.”

Bak Ajuot, Acting Commissioner of Tonj North County said casualties were heavy on both sides, forcing civilians to run into the bush for safety.

“The armed youth attacked the army who were recover raided 125 cattle from Aliek Payam and fighting started at 10 am to 6 pm in which 14 officers from SSPDF were killed,” Ajuot said.