Deadly Land Dispute Ignites Violence in Kiyala Payam, Torit County

Torit, Eastern Equatoria | May 2025

Two people are dead and scores injured after fresh fighting broke out between residents of Mura and Tirangore bomas in Kiyala Payam, Torit County. The flashpoint: a tract of fertile land both communities have contested for nearly three decades.

Land Ownership at the Heart of Decades-Long Feud

According to Tirangore Boma Paramount Chief Peter Ikalu Aukario, the dispute dates back to 1998, when shifting administrative boundaries left ownership of the parcel unclear. “Since then,” he said, “each planting season has carried the threat of violence.”

Latest Clash Turns Deadly

Witnesses report that tensions flared after rival youths erected new cultivation fences on 1 May. Gunfire erupted, killing two men on the spot and wounding at least ten others. Several homes were looted along the Torit–Kapoeta road, a corridor repeatedly hit by ambushes linked to the feud.

Local Leaders Appeal for Calm

“The situation is disastrous. We need government protection and a fair boundary decision before more blood is spilled.”
— Galileo Ohide Juliano, Paramount Chief of Mura Boma

Government Urged to Intervene

County officials previously brokered a cease-fire in 2023, but the agreement collapsed amid fresh accusations of land encroachment. Residents now implore the Eastern Equatoria State government to deploy security forces, open an impartial boundary commission and prosecute ringleaders behind the latest attacks.

Why This Matters

The fertile lands of Kiyala support sorghum and cassava farms that feed Torit’s markets. Continued violence threatens food supplies, disrupts traffic on the Torit–Kapoeta highway and risks igniting wider inter-ethnic tensions in Eastern Equatoria.

Path to Resolution

Community elders propose a joint land-mapping exercise under state supervision, compensation for victims and youth-targeted peace dialogues. Whether such measures take hold will determine if Mura and Tirangore can transform a 27-year rivalry into lasting coexistence—or sink deeper into revenge killings that imperil the wider region.

South Sudan Online will continue to monitor mediation efforts and report on any breakthroughs.