By Yien Gatuor Mead
At least 6 civilians were reportedly killed in Riok Payam in Unity State’s Mayom County by armed pastoralists suspected to be from Tonj North in Warrap State on Thursday morning, officials said.
Speaking to No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper on Saturday, John Bol Magak, the commissioner of Mayom County, said the incident happened on Thursday morning. He said four children and two men were among those killed, two children, including a mother went missing.
“I would like to express my deepest sadness over the killing of 6 civilians and two children missing including a mother of children missing in Riok Payam. This incident happened this Thursday morning and we lost four boys ages of 4,6,8 and14 and two men,” he said.
“Just the day before Wednesday, we received a message from our people in Tong North County, that there is suspected Criminal in the forest, so take care of your movement,” he continued.
“This incident comes at a time when our children are going to receive national examination for primary eight. Unfortunately, our people are killing our civilians,” he said.
The commissioner condemned the incident and urged the government of Warrap State to bring the perpetrators to book.
“We condemn this incident of killing six civilians and two children who are missing including a mother, I call upon the government of Warrap state under the leadership Governor of Warrap state to intervene immediately to protect our people and to bring those who have committed this act to book,” Bol said.
“I would like to inform the authority of Tonj North in Warrap State. Those two children include their mother who was taken alive by armed youth from Warrap State at Mayom County of Unity State. We need them to bring back to Mayom county,” he stated.
In the last three years, 48 people were killed in Mayom County by armed youth reported to be from Tonj North of Warrap State.
On his part, Warrap State information minister, William Wol Mayom while speaking to No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper last Sunday said the leadership of the state condemned the latest attack in Mayom County by the suspected armed youth.
“I communicated with authority in Tonj North of Warrap State. They said there’s no armed youth from their side that attacked Mayom County of Unity State,” he reiterated.
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