Daniel Awak Tribute

Gavin Lower | November 15, 2008

A SUDANESE family interrupted their grieving for a teenager stabbed to death in central Adelaide to dismiss concerns the fight was part of a clash between rival gangs.

Hoping to quell reports of gang warfare among young Sudanese, the family of 14-year-old Daniel Thongjang said those involved in the fatal fight on Wednesday had been friends just months ago.

The brawl, which involved up to 15 youths, had provoked concerns among senior police about violence in the Sudanese community and the possibility of revenge attacks.

Daniel's uncle, Bol Machar, yesterday read a prepared statement to the media and Daniel's friends and family, including his mother, Nyadit, and his three brothers and three sisters, mourning the loss of the Sacred Heart College Catholic school student, who came to Australia in 2004.

Daniel "was a bright boy, caring, loving and mingled with other people very well", Mr Machar said.

"He died probably because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Mr Machar said he wanted to "assure the public there is no evidence whatsoever to suggest this incident was an act of organised crime, gang-related activity, as the media has been trying to perpetuate".

"It was only a fight among friends."

Mr Machar said that among those offering their condolences to Daniel's family were members of the family of his alleged attackers.

"The family, elders and the entire leadership of the entire Sudanese community are in constant consultation among ourselves to ensure this incident is not used negatively to spark up any anti-social behaviour within our community."

Mr Machar would not discuss what caused the fight, saying that was a matter for the police investigation.

Daniel has been described as a good student who enjoyed sport, especially soccer.

He was stabbed to death and another youth was seriously wounded when a brawl broke out in a city food court and retail centre and spilled on to a busy street.

Late yesterday, police charged a 14-year-old boy with murder. He is in hospital, and is expected to appear in the Adelaide Youth Court next week.

Police Commissioner Mal Hyde said yesterday that there was over-representation of young Sudanese males in some offences in Adelaide.

"These are generally around minor assaults, shop theft and traffic and behavioural offences," he said. "It's important they do integrate as quickly as possible and they understand there is a rule of law in Australia, and that standards of behaviour which might have been acceptable somewhere else are not acceptable in South Australia."

A 25-year-old Sudanese man, who did not want to be named, told The Australian this week there were groups of Africans in Adelaide who would get into fights with each other at community parties.

But Mr Hyde said he had not heard of Sudanese gangs in Adelaide.

"I understand in this case that all of the people involved come from the same tribal group," he said.

"I don't think that's an issue here. Whether or not between families and others there are issues or not, well that might be another matter."

Victoria Police last year established a taskforce, codenamed Sarazan, whose main focus was on African youth gangs, following the bashing death of a Sudanese gang member.

Daniel was born in Sudan but moved to Uganda in 2001, and lived there with an aunt until he moved to Australia in 2004 with the aunt.

His mother and siblings joined him in 2006.

Family members say Daniel's father is still in Kenya, and have called on the Immigration Department to consider their requests to allow him into the country to attend his son's funeral.

Meetings between Premier Mike Rann, Attorney-General Michael Atkinson, the police and Sudanese community leaders were held yesterday to discuss the issues surrounding Daniel's death.