At least five people were reportedly been killed and 23 others injured following a clash between South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) and followers of a self-proclaimed Ngundeng Bong prophet inside the Bentiu Protection of Civilians (PoC) site in Unity State on Wednesday evening.
The incident involved supporters of Taban Puol, the man who reportedly claims to be a follower and spiritual successor of the late Nuer prophet Ngundeng Bong.
Puol is said to have attracted thousands of followers inside the PoC, where he has been promoting his religious beliefs.
Speaking to The Nile Witness on Thursday, Nyieer Gatchang Puok, Bentiu PoC’s camp chairman, confirmed the deaths and injuries, saying the confrontation began after a group associated with Puol’s followers came into contact with SSPDF personnel.
“Community police and the SSPDF soldiers, following by the state leadership, came to IDP camp to take away the spiritual leader, Gohdeng. When the SSPDF and the police attempted to take Gatbong away, or the spiritual leader away,” Puok said.
He added, “The community members surrounding him, all together with him, refused to allow the spiritual leader to be taken by the police as well as SSPDF. They were involved in a clash with the police. Twenty-three people were injured and also five people got dead or lost their lives in that incident.”
He noted that the camp leadership had not been adequately informed about the movement of the group before the confrontation, making it difficult for community leaders to intervene early.
“We were not informed in advance about the movement of these people from the SSPDF side toward the area where the Ngundeng followers were. When they arrived, the situation escalated into fighting,” he stated.
According to Puok, Puol was arrested following the confrontation.
“Taban Puol was arrested by the SSPDF commander in Bentiu. He is currently in their custody,” he noted.
Residents inside the PoC said the clash caused panic among displaced families, with people forced to seek shelter as fighting erupted in the camp.
Jilang Gai, a Bentiu PoC resident, stated that residents were caught off guard by the violence.
“People were very frightened when the fighting started. We did not expect such a confrontation inside the camp, and families were running for safety,” Gai said.
Another resident, Mawich Kuol, stressed that the incident raised concerns about the safety of civilians living in the camp, adding that the situation has return to normal as of today.
“We heard gunfire and people started moving away from the area. Nine people were injured and one person was killed, so we are worried that the situation could become worse if it is not controlled. But we thank God because the situation is calm now. It was really terrible,” Kuol said.
However, when contacted by The Nile Witness, Nyakenya Johannes, Unity State’s Information Minister, was not available for comment.
The circumstances surrounding the confrontation remain under investigation, including what triggered the encounter between the SSPDF personnel and Puol’s followers.
Authorities and camp leadership are expected to establish the circumstances that led to the skirmishes to resolve the incident.
Note: This is a developing story.
