By Manas James
Authorities in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State capital, Malakal, have beefed up security and imposed a night curfew.
Social gatherings are also banned as tensions remain high following a renewed inter-communal violence among people in Protection of Civilians (PoC) sites.
Violence erupted in the Malakal Protection of Civilians site on Wednesday, until Thursday, leaving at least 20 people dead and several others injured.
The deadly clashes, which involved members of two rival communities, also resulted in widespread vandalism in the POC, and it has since sparked tensions.
Acting Malakal town mayor, Francis Nyang Awuok, told No. 1 Citizen Newspaper that the situation had returned to calm after beefing up security.
He said that in a meeting after the incidence, representatives of the two communities pledged commitment to de-escalate the tension.
“We also imposed a curfew and ban all forms of social gathering in the town. This helps to stop spillover of violence from the camp,” he said.
The state information minister, Luk Sadhalla Deng, said calm has been restored in Malakal.
“The situation was very difficult, but all is under control. As a government, we beefed up the security, and Malakal town is now normal,” the minister said.
Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Chol Atem Jongeth, the state police commissioner, also confirmed the return of the security situation to normalcy and that the incident was being investigated.
“According to our observation as the police, this incident, sparked by a stabbing incident on June 7, is a continuation of what happened on May 26, when a man was killed in clashes within POC,” he said.