By Bida Elly David
The battle between Jonglei State and Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) remains inevitable and caustic as two men were reportedly killed and one young girl abducted following a brutal attack by armed youth which were believed to have emerged from the GPAA.
In a statement seen by No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper over the weekend, Biel Jiek Lual Nyirol County director of information in Jonglei State accused Murle armed Youth for having involved in murder of the two men and abduction of the young lady along Puoli.
He said the two deceased and the lady were coming from Chuil Payam to Nyirol headquarter Lankien before encountering the incident on the 5-4-2023 around 10:15am.
Jiek further stated that the attacks waged against their people have been a continuous phenomenon noting that they had severally warned the armed Murle Youth against passive confrontation.
He underscored that the same armed youth on the 6th -4-2023 ambush a UN convoy of about 60 vehicles accelerating from Jonglei State to Greater Lou where three people were injured and other children abducted.
“We learned this repeating rampant terrible situation provoked by the armed criminals of greater Pibor administrative area (GPAA). The leaders of Nyirol County civil population is in strong position of condemning Murle Youth action,” Jiel stated.
Meanwhile in response to the accusation, Abraham Kelnag the information minister of GPAA trashed the accusation labelled against the Murle Youth noting that none of Murle armed youth participated in attacking and murdering people along highways.
He warned the leadership of Nyirol County against labeling accusations without evidence and communication to GPAA government saying that the act was meant to tarnish their reputation as government and of the young people.
Kelang noted that in case of such incidents, normally communications between the government of Jonglei and GPAA are normally done to address such matters saying that what happened was a cooked propaganda.
He slammed the County authority of Nyirol against labeling accusations without clarification adding that it would be disastrous and dangerous for the two governments since no respect is demonstrated.
“The statement from Nyirol County is not true. We have agreed with the Jonglei government before that if we have latest updates concerning cattle raiding, child abduction, there should be communication before a statement is released but how comes they come to cook things which are not true,” Kelang questioned.
Moreover he said the lame accusation by the Nyirol county authorities will escalate the situation that will increase tensions between the youth undermining the recent dialogue made for disarmament.
He strongly warned Jonglei state authorities especially Nyirol to immediately halt their behavior if need be to avoid more anger from their side.
Recently, the government of GPAA and Jonglei state declared session of hostilities following brutal enmity between the armed youth of the two authorities but seemingly, the dialogue never reached best of its expectations since accusations and abduction issues remain a saga.