South Sudanese community leader ‘assaulted’ amid claims of infighting

Police probing the alleged assault of a South Sudanese community leader, amid internal strife at the government-funded group.

Ring Mayar, chairman of the South Sudanese Community Association. Picture: David Geraghty.

Victoria Police is investigating an alleged assault of a South Sudanese-community leader, amid claims of political infighting within the government-funded organisation as it grapples to deal with youth crime across Melbourne.

A police spokeswoman this morning confirmed that it was aware of claims by Ring Mayar, the recently elected chairman of the South Sudanese Community Association in Victoria, that he had been assaulted with a metal pole.

“Victoria Police are aware of the incident and are investigating allegations of an assault,” a spokeswoman said. “As the investigation is ongoing it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”

Commander Stuart Bateson, the head of Victoria Police’s Priority Communities Division, told 3AW radio this morning that the recent transition of leadership at the SSCAV had “not gone well”.

The Age has reported that the Victorian government had frozen the SSCAV’s funding.

It is understood that recent comments by Mr Mayar that Airbnb should take some responsibility for a spate of out-of control parties organised by African Australian youths have upset some members of the community, who believe he is attempting to shift blame.

Tensions come as the community reels from the death of talented young soccer player Laa Chol, who was killed at the weekend after a party in a CBD high-rise apartment turned violent. Police say a brawl broke out after an uninvited group of youths arrived at the apartment in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Homicide police are investigating but have ruled out the incident being “gang-related”.

Commander Stuart Bateson, the head of the African-Australian community taskforce, told 3AW’s Neil Mitchell that Ms Chol, a university student and aspiring lawyers from Pakenham in Melbourne’s southeast, was not a member of a gang.

“It’s not related to ethnicity, we’ve seen murders occur in similar circumstances ever since I’ve been in the police force,” he said.

“This is not to do with warring factions.”

His comments come after Achol Marial, youth affairs officer at the South Sudanese Community Association in Victoria, warned community members via social media to “not take matters into your own hands”.

Ms Marial clarified to The Australian that she did not have concerns that the incident would spark a revenge bid, rather that it was a “practice that happens regularly in our homeland”.

“I am hoping that it is something that wouldn’t take place here,” she said. “I was simply asking the community to allow police to do their job and let this girl rest in peace.”

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said that investigators had been in contact with community leaders and “this is not something that we are concerned will happen”.