February 25th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – A fierce fighting among government troops in Leer town of Southern Unity state has left a government general dead on Saturday, state minister of information, Nyuon Joseph, have told the Eye Radio.
The incident, according to the information minister, occurred when some army officers decided to order the return of cattle looted by the army from a SPLA-IO controlled territory to their civilian owners.
Joseph said some of the officers wanted to divided the cows among themselves and in the process led to fighting between them.
“When they returned to Leer with cows they had seized from IO-held areas, some soldiers argued that the animals be returned since they belonged to civilians.” Joseph told Eye Radio today.
“However, the other group objected, saying since the cattle were taken during clashes, they must not be returned. This sparked the fighting,” he added saying that Maj. Gen. Biel Gai Malual was killed in as result.
The slain army general was a member of the former SPLA-IO faction under First Vice President Taban Deng Gai which was merged with the national army around earlier last year.
