AWEIL – A disagreement over payment for ox-ploughing services has turned fatal in South Sudan’s Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, leaving a 40-year-old farmer dead after he allegedly sustained a fatal neck injury during a fight with a labourer.
The incident occurred on Wednesday in Apial Village, Baac Payam of Aweil East County, where a dispute over the cost of ploughing a groundnut farm escalated into violence.
According to police, the deceased, identified as Diing Keer Mathian, had hired oxen to plough two feddans of his groundnut farm under an agreement worth 300,000 South Sudanese pounds (SSP). However, investigators say he paid only 35,000 SSP, triggering a disagreement with those providing the service.
Northern Bahr el Ghazal State Police spokesperson Madut Ngong Aleu told journalists in Aweil on Friday that the dispute quickly escalated into a physical confrontation between the farmer and Aduol Deng Aduol, a 19-year-old labourer involved in the ploughing work.
According to preliminary police findings, Aduol allegedly struck Diing in the neck with a punch during the altercation, causing him to collapse immediately.
“The preliminary report indicates that the disagreement arose between the owner of the farm, Diing Keer Mathian, and the owner of the oxen hired to plough the land,” Aleu said.
“The agreed payment for the work was 300,000 SSP, but only 35,000 SSP had been paid. During the disagreement, the suspect, identified as Aduol Deng Aduol, allegedly punched Diing in the neck, causing injuries that proved fatal.”
Residents of Apial Village rushed to the scene after learning of the incident and attempted to save the injured farmer. Police said community members tried to transport him to Omdurman Health Facility for emergency treatment, but he succumbed to his injuries before reaching the facility.
“The local community made every effort to rush the victim to Omdurman Health Facility, but unfortunately he died on the way,” Aleu said.
Police have not disclosed whether the suspect has been formally charged but confirmed that investigations into the incident are ongoing.
Aleu appealed to members of the public to refrain from taking matters into their own hands during disputes, urging them instead to seek lawful means of resolving conflicts.
He warned that resorting to violence over financial disagreements often leads to tragic and irreversible consequences, stressing the importance of respecting the rule of law.
The killing has shocked residents of Apial Village and surrounding communities, where ox-ploughing remains a common farming practice during the cultivation season.
The incident has also reignited discussions about the need for peaceful conflict resolution in rural communities, particularly during the busy agricultural period when disputes over labour agreements and payments can arise.
Agricultural experts and local authorities have long encouraged farmers to embrace mechanised and ox-plough farming to increase productivity and reduce the physical burden of manual cultivation.
However, the latest incident has also highlighted the need for clearer labour agreements, timely payment for agricultural services, and greater community awareness on resolving disputes peacefully before they escalate into violence.
