June 11, 2020 (SSNN) – A prominent tribal leader has been killed in South Sudan’s Lakes state after reportedly attempting to join the 7th October Movement which was formed recently by former political detainee Kerbino Wol.
Monydiar Maker who heads the Gelweng armed youth was killed at about 05:00 PM today after fighting with the army’s sixth infantry division which is based in Lakes State, according to residents there.
One source said from Yirol that the brief fighting occurred at Amokpiny area, a village in Rumbek East County and lasted for 30 minutes leading to the killing of the militia commander.
“Monydiar is no more. He has been killed today after he tried to join Kerbino Wol who just formed his movement,” the source told Nyamilepedia from Rumbek.
“Unfortunately, seven other women were killed in action along Monydiar. His men have fled to the bush and now there is calm. We don’t really know what their reaction would be because they are heavily armed. They may return,” the source added.
Gelweng is a prominent militia group in South Sudan. According to the African Union, the militia group participated in the 2013 massacre in which thousands of members of the country’s second larges tribe, the Nuer, were killed.
The AU said in a reported released in late 2015 that the killing in Juba was carried on with the direct knowledge of the state and had been planned for years.
