A soldier belonging to the South Sudan people defense forces opened fire at the commissioner of Awerial County, Hon. Simon Jok Geng. After he intervened to stop an armed confrontation between the police and SSPDF soldiers in Mingkaman. Official says nobody injured despite heavy exchange of gunfire between the soldiers and police in Mingkaman.
On Saturday evening, a soldier slapped one of the police officers at a local wrestling competition pitch, prompting the police to respond. Both engaged in a fierce physical fight. The two were separate but later brought their guns where the commissioner separated the two sides.
One of the soldiers shot the commissioner at the closed range, but the bullet missed him, and colleagues disarmed him. Hon. Jok told Mingkaman 100 FM journalist that six armed personnel were arrested, including the soldiers who shot at him.
“The first one was just a mere confrontation with hand slaps, but the army returned to their base and eventually grabbed guns again and started advancing to the police station. I was informed, and I rushed to calm the situation. One soldier decided to shoot at me, but I was not hurt”, Jok says
He says the situation was contained and urged citizens not to panic. “I want to tell the civil population in Awerial and the business community that they are safe to do their normal business and walk as usual.”
He says the issue has nothing much because this was not targeting civilians, and they will deal with them administratively. The wrestling was between Aliab, the sub-sections of Magaar and Koro at St. Paul playing ground in Mingkaman.
The incident created a terrifying event for some residents living at the riverside, saying; the children were scared. Some people run toward the river because of the fear of being shot. They appeal to the armed personnel to stop firing guns, saying most children live with post-conflict trauma.