Two killed in fresh attack in Akobo

By Mamer Abraham

 

At least two people were reportedly killed and a score wounded at 8:00 a. m, on Sunday morning attack in Akobo County, Jonglei State.

The commissioner of Akobo County, Puok Nyang Tutjiek, said in a statement seen by No. 1 Citizen Daily Newspaper yesterday that the attackers are suspected to be from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area.

“This morning, two people were killed and 10 more wounded in the cattle camp in Akobo County in an unfortunate attack by Murle Criminals from Greater Pibor Administrative Area,” said the commissioner.

He termed the attack a violation of various peace conferences previously organized between Lou Nuer Youth and the youth of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) to ensure that hostilities were ceased.

This attack is in violation of the inter-communities’ government structures (ICGS) meeting in Ayod and Likuangole counties on November 2–7 and December 10–14, 2023, respectively, and the Uno conference that ended three days ago in Likuangole county,” he explained.

He condemned the attack and urged the youth of Akobo County to observe restraint to give room for authorities to address the situation peacefully.

He urged the administration of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area to engage their youth to stop attacks and adhere to subsequent communities’ peace initiatives conducted by communities in GPAA, Akobo County, and other counties of Jonglei State.

In October 2023, the national minister of interior, Angelina Teny, told the national legislative assembly that at least 80 people were killed in a series of inter-communal violence and cattle raids between Jonglei State and GPAA since January 2023.

Angelina stressed that out of the 56 children abducted in Jonglei State, only 8 of them were returned, while at least 12 children who were also abducted were not returned.

“Traders travelling from Bor to Pibor: after reaching Pibor town, armed youth from Murle attacked them, but they reported themselves to the CMI and SSPDF General Headquarters in Pibor. Unfortunately, the armed youth broke into the premises and killed those traders. The investigation is ongoing for one South Sudanese national and two Sudanese nationals,” Angelina explained.

She said a commissioner of Pochalla was also killed, and investigations into all the crimes were still ongoing.

“Issues of abduction are very difficult to handle because of the challenges facing the police and law enforcement agencies, including the other security agencies that usually support the police in carrying out its mandate,” she hinted.

However, the chief administrator of Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA), Lokole Amee, also told parliament that a number of women and children were also abducted from GPAA by youth from Jonglei State but were not recovered as well.

The chief administrator of GPAA said the only solution to cattle raids and child and woman abductions was disarmament, the deployment of necessary unified forces, and the establishment of a buffer zone between the two sister areas.

Amee added that the armed youth from his administrative area were so many that they could outnumber the forces that were present in the area.