At least five people were injured in inter-communal violence in Wathmuok area of Aweil state over the weekend. According to Aweil state spokesperson Joseph Lual Deng, the conflict erupted when the Ajak and Kongdeer communities disagreed over the establishment of Ajak Centre County headquarters in Wathmuok. Lual who is also the state information minister told Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday that Ajak, Kongdeer, and Buonchuai communities have been contesting the ownership of Wathmuok for some years. “The tensions rise between two communities, Kongdeer, and Ajak when Wathmuok was made to be a county headquarters of Ajak Centre County. The other side of Kongdeer is saying the commissioner should not be brought to Wathmuok as county headquarters of Ajak Center County,” he explained. Minister Lual said Aweil state government convoy headed by the acting governor, Simon Ober Mawut visited the scene to calm the situation but fresh clashes erupted. “On arrival at 4:00 pm on (Monday) the two communities were confronting each other as soon as they saw the cars although the information was passed to inform them that the commissioner is not coming. It was the delegation that is going down to them to inform them and listen to why there is a dispute over the area,’’ he added. The feuding communities, according to the minister, have been fighting using local materials such as spears and sticks. But he said the situation had returned to normal after security agents were deployed in the area.
