Six die in fight among Kakuma refugees

More children arrive in Kakuma refugee camp as they await to be resettled. Six refugees have been killed and several others injured since fighting broke out at the Kakuma refugee camp in October 26, 2014. PHOTO | PETER WARUTUMO |

What you need to know:

  • In the first incident last Sunday, there was an attempted defilement of a nine-year-old Nuer girl by a 12-year-old Dinka boy, according to Turkana West OCPD Daniel Nyabuto.
  • The Congolese and Burundians who talked to the Nation said the Nuer raided their camp armed with clubs, knifes, pangas, sticks and metals. Five people were killed.

Six refugees have been killed and several others injured since fighting broke out at the Kakuma refugee camp last Sunday.

Hundreds of Congolese and Burundians have fled the camp amid fears of more killings. They are camping at churches and police posts about 10 kilometres away.

In the first incident last Sunday, there was an attempted defilement of a nine-year-old Nuer girl by a 12-year-old Dinka boy, according to Turkana West OCPD Daniel Nyabuto.

The boy was arrested by the police on patrol. However, reports spread in the South Sudanese camp that the boy was not arrested.

This fuelled tension that resulted in a fight between the two dominant communities of South Sudan —the Dinka and the Nuer — leaving one person dead.

Mr Nyabuto said that in the second incident on Thursday, a Burundian man knocked down a four-year-old Nuer boy at Kakuma 4 Camp, sparking fighting. The Nuer attacked the Burundians and Congolese, he said.

The boy suffered bruises and was treated at the International Rescue Committee Hospital and discharged.

CAMP RAIDED

The Congolese and Burundians who talked to the Nation said the Nuer raided their camp armed with clubs, knifes, pangas, sticks and metals. Five people were killed.

“Since Thursday, I have been begging so that my five children aged between seven years and six months can eat. We have no water and no money.

“I used all my savings to hire motorbikes to bring us to Kakuma,” a Burundian refugee, Ms Wimana Slavane, said.

There are long queues of people waiting to fetch water amid fears of an outbreak of water-borne diseases as some refugee have resorted to using contaminated water from a seasonal river.

“My seven friends have been admitted to IRC hospital with panga and club injuries,” Congolese Patrick Mukoko said.

He has unsuccessful tried to bury a nephew — 27-year-old Bilali Tioto — due to the animosity. The nephew was killed in the fighting.

Mr Mukoko said this was a violation of their rights as people were dying for something they were not part of.

“Memories of people being butchered back home like dogs and goats returned to haunt us at Kakuma,” he said.

Hundreds of refugees spent the night in the cold without food and have appealed to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to quickly resolve the conflict.

Unconfirmed reports indicated that South Sudanese had established a camp next to where the Congolese live.