At least 16 people were killed and 34 others wounded in intercommunal violence involving the Akok Deng Achuil and Thiik Majok Makom communities in Ngap Agok and Malual Chum payams in Tonj East County, Warrap State.
Tonj East County Caretaker Commissioner Machuei Bith told Radio Tamazuj on Thursday morning that the casualties were reported on both sides of the conflict between Oct. 12 and 13.
“An incident occurred between the Akok Deng Achuil community in Ngap Agok Payam and the Thiik Majok Makom community in Malual Chum Payam, in which 16 people lost their lives and 34 others were wounded on both sides,” Bith said.
According to the commissioner, the violence followed the killing of a member of the Akok Deng Achuil community by unidentified armed men in Mader Boma, within Ngap Agok Payam, several days earlier.
Bith said members of the Akok Deng Achuil community suspected their neighbours from the Thiik Majok Makom community of being responsible for the killing and launched a retaliatory attack on residential areas belonging to the Thiik community on Tuesday morning.
“Certain criminals went to Mader Boma in Ngap Agok Payam and killed one person from the Akok Deng Achuil community at around 5 p.m. The community suspected its neighbours from Thiik Majok Makom of killing their member and immediately attacked residential areas belonging to the Thiik community on Tuesday morning without giving us time to investigate,” he said.
Bona Malual, chairperson of the Warrap State Civil Society Network, called for calm and an end to recurring communal violence across Greater Tonj.
Malual urged the state government to ensure that those responsible for the violence were brought to justice to prevent further loss of life.
“We have been calling for an end to communal violence because it has become a daily occurrence across Greater Tonj,” Malual said. “We have also been calling on the state government to ensure that those responsible are taken to court and held accountable for their actions.”
The clashes come as South Sudan prepares for elections scheduled for December 2026, amid concerns about security and the conditions needed for a peaceful electoral process.
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