At the least 14 troopers have been killed and several other others injured in South Sudan after a suspected “love triangle” dispute led to a lethal shootout, the military mentioned on Wednesday.
A conflict between members of the Unified VIP Safety Drive, which includes authorities troops and opposition fighters, erupted on Monday at a market close to the oil-rich Abyei Field area, which straddles the border between Sudan and South Sudan.
A fragile power-sharing deal between President Salva Kiir and his long-time rival, Riek Machar, has been unravelling for months, threatening to return the younger nation to a civil conflict that left 400,000 lifeless within the 2010s.
Machar was indicted final month on prices of homicide, treason and crimes towards humanity, and was stripped of his place as first vp within the unity authorities, additional fueling fears of renewed tensions. Machar’s spokesperson condemned the transfer as a “political witch-hunt,” BBC News reported.
In keeping with South Sudan People’s Defence Forces spokesman Lul Ruai Koang, Monday’s dispute started between two officers, one pro-Machar and the opposite pro-Kiir.
“There are two conflicting accounts concerning the reason for the disaster: first model says it was a purely private misunderstanding between the 2 officers at a tea place and the opposite says it was a love triangle,” Koang advised reporters throughout a press briefing on the military common headquarters within the capital Juba.
“The 2 males reportedly quarreled after each have been reported to be romantically concerned with the identical girl,” he mentioned.
The state of affairs escalated when the Machar-aligned officer shot his Kiir-aligned counterpart, prompting their respective bodyguards to open hearth.
Violence then erupted from the market, spreading to main checkpoints and barracks, Koang mentioned.
“A complete of 14 servicemen have been killed: six from the SPLA-IO (Machar’s get together) and eight from the SSPDF,” Koang confirmed.
One civilian was reportedly caught within the crossfire, with their situation but to be confirmed, whereas 5 troopers have been injured and are receiving therapy.
Koang mentioned the incident was not “politically motivated” however confirmed that an investigation has been launched.
The United Nations rights chief warned final month that South Sudan is on the point of renewed conflict, as almost 2,000 civilians have been killed in surging violence this 12 months.
South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 however rapidly fell right into a five-year civil conflict.
A 2018 peace deal ended the combating, however leaders have repeatedly failed to carry elections or unify their armed forces. The United Nations, African Union and neighboring international locations are calling for calm on the earth’s latest nation, BBC News reported.
Brian Inganga / AP 
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