Armed cattle keepers in South Sudan.Photo courtesy
JUBA, South Sudan - At least 22 people have been killed during armed raids at Duk County in South Sudan’s eastern Jonglei state in the first week of the new year, according to local officials
The attacks on Poktap Boma of Duk County, hosted by flood-affected civilians on Thursday have devastated civilians from the Dinka Nyarweng community as armed youths from the Murle ethnic group opened fire and drove away 7,000 herd of cattle.
At least 18 people were wounded and others remain unaccounted for a day after the bloodshed in the Poktap locality.
The 14 wounded people were on Friday airlifted to Juba's capital of South Sudan for further treatment, but one died upon arrival.
The assailants were the Murle tribe from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA), curved out from the Jonglei State in 2014 by the country's president Salva Kiir.
Greater Jonglei state has been blighted by tribal violence, child abduction and cattle rustling.
More than 700 people were killed and others were raped and kidnapped in Jonglei between January and August 2020 in armed raids by ethnic militias, according to the UN report. A UN investigation found political and military elites played a role in the violence.
However, this cleanse act is attributed to raids aimed at tribal revenge, along with looting cattle.
Duk County Commissioner, Peter Latjor Chuol explained that a group of armed youth stormed the area and walked away with about 7,000 herds of cattle.
He described the incident as unfortunate and added that most of the casualties were young people.
"The incident resulted in the deaths of 22 people, with 18 others sustaining injuries," Latjor told PAV by phone call from Duk County.
The bandits were reported using machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.
Commissioner Latjor called on the national government to take immediate action to avoid further escalations that will endanger vulnerable people.
The local official reiterated calls for comprehensive countrywide disarmament.
"It is the worst terror attack," said Ms. Elizabeth Nyadak John, the Minister of Information in Jonglei State.
Minister Nyadak further called upon the Pibor Administrative area authorities to bring those criminals to book.
Oil-rich South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in June 2011 but has been engulfed in ethnic violence.
The country descended into another brutal civil war in December 2013 when forces loyal to President Salva Kiir began battling those loyal to his deputy, Riek Machar that killed nearly 400,000 people and displaced millions.
Numerous attempts at peace failed, but the 2018 peace deal signed has largely held, with warring parties forming a coalition government in 2020 as Kiir is president and Machar, the ex-rebel leader as Vice President. The government of President Kiir is hard at work trying to catch with reforms ahead of the country's first ever elections in December 2024.
