Heavy gun fire in Tonj East as intercommunal fighting breaks out

KUAJOK – Heavy gun battle is reportedly escalating in South Sudan’s Warrap state, after intercommunal fighting involving Luanjang, Thiik and Jalwau erupted on Sunday afternoon, according to police authorities.

“There was fighting on Sunday afternoon. it was a heavy gun battle that involved the use of machine gun. It was between Luanjang, Thiik and Jalwau and this has led to the killing of about 16 people on Sunday alone,” a senior state police official told Sudans Post this morning.

The state security official however said the fighting resumed on Monday, but subsided later in the evening.

He said state authorities have dispatched a team to Tonj East to speak to community leaders on ending the fighting.

“Also because of this fighting, 47 people have been wounded in total and the state police have send a team of security officers and local government officials to Tonj East to talk to the community chiefs there so that the fighting is stopped,” the police officer said.

In August, heavy fighting between South Sudan army and armed youth in Tonj broke out, killing over 200 people.

The fighting ended with the army’s withdrawal from Tonj’s Romic town after complaints were raised over army brutality which has been blamed by many local officials for the outbreak of fighting there.

In September, army spokesman, Major-General Lul Ruai Koang told Sudans Post that the army preparing to resume the disarmament process which he said was crucial to peace and stability of the state authorities.

Sudans Post also learned that Bol Akot, the police chief in the region was also recalled to Juba after he was accused of directing abuse against civilians including the raping of women there.