Night Clash Leaves Two Dead in Mayom County
Gunfire erupted during a late-night social gathering in Mankien Payam on Tuesday, killing two young men and wounding another, authorities in Mayom County reported on Wednesday.
Witnesses said the dispute began between two individuals but quickly drew in rival youth factions from Mankien’s Chiengbolkang and neighbouring Kueyiel’s Chiengkuring communities.
Commissioner Confirms Details and Arrests
Commissioner James Lily Kuol told Radio Tamzaju that each side lost one life; a second Chiengbolkang youth survived gunshot wounds and is receiving treatment.
Kuol confirmed several arrests but withheld numbers while investigators review statements and recover spent cartridges around the venue.
Civil Society Decries Armed Youth Culture
Local advocates immediately condemned the bloodshed, warning that firearms in the hands of restless youth threaten fragile communal coexistence across Unity State.
“It is very unfortunate to hear of the deaths of two men at the hands of armed youth taking the law into their own hands,” said Riek Koang, state coordinator of the Street Children Care Initiative Organization.
Appeals for Accountability and Dialogue
Koang urged prosecutors to hold suspects swiftly, arguing that delayed justice emboldens future violence and deepens mistrust among neighbouring payams.
County officials echoed the appeal, promising transparent proceedings and renewed community dialogues aimed at steering armed youth toward constructive civic roles.