By Tereza Jeremiah Chuei
The head of Agwelek Delegation in Juba Paul Achot Achobek has accused the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLM-IO) of attacking civilians in Adidang of Upper Nile State.
A source on the ground who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Adidang came under attack two days ago, which made some civilians from the area to flee to the Protection of Civilians (PoC) site in Malakal town of Upper Nile State.
However, after the arrival of the civilians within Malakal PoC, their relatives allegedly decided to retaliate which led to the killing of one person, who had sustained injures during the fighting.
Speaking to No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper, the anonymous source confirmed that the civilians are currently under protection of UNMISS in Malakal town.
“There was an attack in Adidang which has led to displacement of civilians to Malakal POC,” said the anonymous source.
However, another source residing within the Malakal PoC, who also chose anonymity, confirmed another fight between the civilians within the PoC which comes as retaliation leading to the one dead.
“There were some drunkard boys from the Shuluk side who decided to go to the side were Nuer are staying, I think due to the anger of what happened to their families in Adidang, they went and started a fight, which led to their beating, as I speak one of the guys passed on due to the injuries he sustained from the beating,” the anonymous source explained.
The source however said the situation, in Malakal PoC has returned to normalcy after the involved communities had a meeting which resulted into a peaceful and fruitful discussion, citing that they have both chosen to remain peaceful.
“They had a meeting in the morning today and they accepted to remain peaceful like the way they were, most especially that people are now staying in the camps because of the same war,” the source stated.
Paul Achot alleged that “The same IO who have been attacking Tango before is the same that has crossed to Adidang and attacked the civilians there.”
Achot however didn’t mention any causality from the Adidang attack.
When contacted, the Information Minister of Upper Nile State Luk Sadallah Deng couldn’t be in position to comment on the matter as there was communication breakdown; he said “the network is not good.”
Meanwhile the SPLA-IO military spokesperson, Col. Lam Paul Gabriel, when contacted for response said “Give me thirty minutes, let me first inquire from the ground, if it’s true our forces has done this, then I will accept but if it’s not us then still I will let you know.”
However, thirty Minutes and hours passed with no feedback, and when this reporter tried to reach him for follow up on the same, Col. Lam didn’t pick repeated phone calls.