South Sudan vice-president cancels trip to Malakal over violence

JUBA, JUNE 8, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – South Sudan’s vice-president for economic cluster James Wani Igga has cancelled his trip to Upper Nile State’s capital Malakal where a deadly intercommunal fighting killed around 14 people at an IDP camp, a government official aid.

Igga was supposed to travel to Malakal today, but Upper Nile State information Minister Luk Deng says the trip has been cancelled due to the violence that has so far displaced hundreds of internally displaced persons.

“The planned visit of the Vice President was cancelled because of the violent incidents that occurred in the Malakal POC, so this is the main reason,” The senior government official is quoted by Radio Tamazuj as saying.

“The state government want to control the security situation first and the visit has been rescheduled,” he added.

He further said that civilians who have been displaced from the camp have been provided with shelter by the government and revealed that the state government has deployed security forces to quell violence in the camp.

“Those who left the UN camp after the fighting are now outside. They have been brought to one place in Malakal town,” Deng said.

“The violence involved the Nuer and Shilluk communities,” he added.