County Commissioner says the curfew is a precautionary measure to prevent further violence in the community
By Emmanuel Mandela
Authorities in Tombura County of Western Equatoria State, have imposed a curfew after a brutal attack on a disco Club that left two people dead and three others injured.
The curfew, in effect from 10 PM to 6 AM, comes amid rising fear of the resurgence of inter-tribal violence that had claimed several lives in the past in the state.
Tombura County Commissioner, Mathew Mabenge confirmed the tragic incident and stated that calm has since been restored. “We have imposed a curfew to monitor the security situation and ensure the safety of our citizens,” Mabenge said.
He added that the curfew is a precautionary measure to prevent further violence in the community.
The violence between the Azande and Balanda tribes has devastated the region, with attacks on civilians, looting, and mass displacement. The conflict has spiraled into a cycle of revenge killings.
In June, a Catholic priest and his driver went missing and have not been traced since, sending shockwaves to the religious and humanitarian community in the area.
Despite numerous efforts to halt the conflict, peace initiatives have largely failed. The South Sudan Council of Churches (SSCC), in partnership with local leaders, has attempted several peace dialogues in Tombura to reconcile the warring factions. However, these talks have yielded little success, with many agreements collapsing as violence reignites.
The SSCC expressed deep frustration at the ongoing conflict, “We have been working tirelessly to bring peace between the Azande and Balanda communities, but every effort has been met with renewed hostilities. The loss of lives, including those of our religious leaders, is heartbreaking.”
Owing to the incidences of surging conflicts, local authorities, humanitarian organizations, and religious leaders are calling for more robust intervention to address the root causes of the conflict and bring lasting peace to the area.
As the curfew takes effect, Tombura remains tense, with fears that any renewed clashes could further destabilize the community. Residents continued to live in uncertainty, hoping for an end to the violence that has torn apart families and disrupted livelihoods.
Last Saturday, gunfire broke out near an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp, sending residents into a panic that forced some returnees to flee back to the camp for safety. The tragic shooting has shaken the already fragile security situation in Tombura, where inter-communal clashes have intensified over the past year.
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The violence between the Azande and Balanda tribes has devastated the region, with attacks on civilians, looting, and mass displacement.