Chief in Oguruny village has confirmed three people dead and one injured, in a shooting on Tuesday in Oguruny village of Torit County in Eastern Equatoria State.
The chief claims that the shooting was a revenge attack between the community of Iloli and Oguruny.
The incident occurred at around 8:30 PM, when a group of youths allegedly attacked Oguruny village, where youth were attending a traditional dance.
He says the deceased people are three young men, and one lady injured.
“Yeah, yesterday at 8:30 some people came yesterday and got people were dancing a kind of dance call achalla, then they shot four people, three men died and one woman wounded, she was taken to Torit, this is what happened, this morning we followed the foot marks, up to a place call, Ilawk, and hamuhi, near a mountain call Imalabu. So we got this are people from Iloli village.
Chief Risio Otida reiterates his warning against revenge killings.
Revenge is not a peaceful way of dealing with inter-communal conflicts.
“This is a problem we told the monyie-mijji that no one should go to Iloli, let us be one ,we are people of one village, because it is not people of Iloli who shot these people, is three to four people thieves who are not listening advise. This is their issue, you are talking and they are thinking something different all is killing, just stealing, goats, cows, killing people is not good, every work in the village like going to garden for harvest or land preparation, and women going for funerals are always being scouted”.
Sub-chief of Iloli village, Sisto Ofere, blames the government for failing to intervene in such incidents, despite forwarding such cases to higher authorities several times.
“It is true, yesterday some people from Oguruny came to Iloli, they did not get people in the garden harvesting groundnuts, so it has been happening several times to our village and the authority doesn’t want to intervene, this is why yesterday they were angry and followed the foot marks and shot this people, the monyie- mijji of iloli accepts the case, because we do always give report to the government, like for the three youth who were shot, and one who was shot on his way to is garden call ohitai, the government has not been looking on to solve the issue, even yesterday one call Atari was shot we reported the issue, so that is why the monyie-mijji became angry and shot people and even call the commissioner and accept the issue”.
On his part, Torit County Commissioner, Jacob Atari condemns the attack in the village.
He says the young people have violated the agreement signed by the chiefs.
“Is true the incident happens yesterday in Oguruny, honestly I have tried my level best as commissioner, to put an end to the four villages in Hiyala Payam, I think the resolution is going to tackle all what has really happened, I really condemned the attack what this people of Iloli did to the people of Oguruny, after I have communicated with them, even after their intellectuals communicated to them, again they went to take the law in to their hand, I am asking the chief o give me the name of those people who have committed the atrocities to avoid the whole village to be accountable, if thy failed to do that the whole village of iloli will be accountable for what they have done//
The commitment letter calls for cessation of violence, cattle raiding, killing, and revenge and road attacks.