At least three killed in South during elections

At least three killings were reported during the five days of elections in Sudan. All deadly incidents took place in the South. The worst clashes were in Riak Payam (Mayom County) were at least two casualties were counted, while others were not confirmed. SPLA soldiers clashed Wednesday with the local population and the election officers fled the station. According to the reports, the soldiers took over the station and occupied the election materials including the ballot boxes. On Tuesday evening a party agent of an independent candidate in Aweil was killed by a bodyguard of the Aweil East commissioner in Wanyjok. On the same day a major in charge of the security of the station was shot in Marial Bal in Gok Machar (North of Aweil) by an unidentified gunman. Two police officers were injured. The suspect escaped.

No political killings in Raja

The SPLM deputy secretary general Anne Itto highly criticized the Reuters press agency for spreading false rumors by the NCP chairman in South Sudan accusing the SPLM for killing nine of its party officials in Raja including their chairman. Only a few media did some fact checking to find out what really had happened. According to Itto, a soldier in Timsah county in Raja returned home, finding his wife with another man. The soldier killed the man and four relatives. Later he killed another four people on Sunday during the first election day. A criminal investigation has started. The chairman of the local NCP was not involved in the incident, as earlier reporetd, and is still alive. The killing was not politically motivated, SPLM emphasized.