Khaberni - At least 14 soldiers were killed and others wounded in South Sudan in an armed clash between two officers due to their rivalry over a woman, as reported by the army on Wednesday.
Last Monday, a clash erupted between members of the Unified VIP Protection Force, which includes government forces and opposition fighters, in a market near the oil-rich Abyei area on the border between Sudan and South Sudan.
The spokesman for the South Sudanese army, Lul Ruai Koang, explained that a dispute had erupted last Monday between two officers, one loyal to the country's president Salva Kiir and the other to his arch-rival for power Riek Machar.
Koang said at a press conference that there are two conflicting narratives about the cause of the dispute; the first being a purely personal misunderstanding between the officers at a cafe, and the second pointing to a love triangle.
He added that information suggests that the men quarreled after it was reported they loved the same woman.
The situation escalated when the officer loyal to Machar fired at the other loyal to Kiir, prompting their personal guards to exchange fire.
Koang clarified that the violence then extended to the market, then to the main checkpoints and barracks, indicating that the total number of military fatalities reached 14 soldiers, including 6 from Machar's party and 8 from the South Sudanese army forces.
Reports indicated that a civilian was injured as a result of the clashes, while 5 soldiers are receiving treatment.
Koang confirmed that there were "no political motives" for the incident, but confirmed that an investigation was opened.
Last month, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights warned that South Sudan is on the brink of renewed war, with around two thousand civilians killed in escalating violence this year.
