Clashes between armed youths from rival communities in South Sudan’s central Lakes state have left about 70 people dead, including four soldiers, while a local hospital has been overwhelmed by wounded victims, officials said.
The violence erupted on Friday in the Rumbek area as government troops and United Nations peacekeepers moved to restore order and protect residents.
Lt. Col. Lekhnath Katwal, commander of the Nepalese Army contingent serving with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) in Rumbek, said troops were immediately deployed to the state hospital and surrounding areas following instructions from the sector headquarters.
“With the order from sector headquarter, we mobilised our troops immediately to the Rumbek State Hospital, and also we’ll patrol around the Rumbek Town,” Katwal said on Friday.
Mabor Deng, press secretary to the governor of Lakes State, said security patrols had been intensified to protect residents and facilitate the return of displaced people to their homes.
“There are patrols in town that are running 24/7, to safeguard the movement of people and those that are displaced to come back to their respective homes,” Deng said.
South Sudan’s Information Ministry confirmed that approximately 70 people had been killed, including four soldiers, but said the exact death toll was yet to be verified.
A resident of Rumbek, Mbabazi Riesty Loduma, described the panic among residents as the violence spread.
“We saw people running with their children to save them from the people who were fighting, cause the fighting was continuing from the other side,” Loduma said on Tuesday.
The clashes involved armed youths from the Pakam community in Rumbek North County and their counterparts from the Nyang community in Rumbek Central County. Both communities belong to the Dinka ethnic group.
Lakes State has experienced repeated episodes of intercommunal violence, often linked to disputes over cattle and grazing land, as well as retaliatory killings.
The immediate cause of Friday’s clashes, however, remained unclear.
Security forces and UN peacekeepers continued patrols in Rumbek to maintain order, protect residents and support efforts to enable displaced people to return home.
