BY Tut Nyink – KANERE reporter
Dispute over woman results in the deaths of at least two people and many injured.
At around 8:25PM on 10th of December 2018, violence broke out among South Sudanese residents in Kakuma 3 (Block 13, Zone 1). The fight was precipitated when people from one Nuer clan sought revenge over an ongoing dispute with another Nuer clan.
“The two clans belong to Luo Nuer, and the reason for the fight was recycled from the last year,” explained community security worker Gat Dak in Kakuma 4.
The conflict arose in mid-2017, when a boy from the Mor clan was accused of causing the illegitimate pregnancy of a girl from the Gatbhal clan. The girl’s brother was accused of murdering a member of the Mor clan. The Gatbhal community elders apprehended the girl’s brother and surrendered him to the Kenya police in order to avoid escalation of the incident. The man, who was identified as Matom, has been detained at Lodwar prison since that time.
“Matom was imprisoned in a murder case, but the person who impregnated his sister has fled from Kakuma. The girl is in UNHCR protection area with her child.” John Sudanese youth leader told KANERE
In the most recent incident, the girls’ relatives went to the Mor clan’s community looking for the boy responsible for the pregnancy. While they did not find him, an argument arose with members from the opposing clan. This quickly devolved into a brawl and resulted in two deaths among the Mor clan, sparking fresh tension within these Sudanese communities.
KANERE confirmed the deaths through interviews with community security personnel, who also affirmed that the dispute stretches back to 2017.
Members from both clans wielded machetes, metal rods, wooden sticks and stones, and at least 20 people from both sides were injured. A youth leader at a joint clan meeting in Kakuma 3 said that most of the injured have received treatment from health facilities in the camp, while two were taken to Lokichogio in a critical condition.
Kenya police arrived at the scene and arrested about 15 individuals across both clans. Many were released after investigation, in an attempt to avoid continued fighting, but the tension remained high over the ensuing weeks in December.
Beyond the dispute over the unsanctioned pregnancy, the two clans have been embroiled in conflict for at least two years at other venues including football events and weddings. Although the camp authorities have issued security warnings against engaging in matters that arise from conflict or illegal misconduct, vengeful youth continue to turn gatherings toward violence.
“In a South Sudanese community, a fight over a woman is always feared as potentially dangerous,” explained one elder from the Nuer community.