Murle MPs blame SPLA, UN for Pibor attacks
January 1, 2012 (JUBA) – South Sudanese MPs from the Murle community have blamed the army and UN peacekeepers for allowing armed men from the Luo-Nuer ethnic group to attack Pibor town on Saturday.
Colonel Philip Aguer said SPLA forces only managed to protect some strategic administrative locations. There are reports that a hospital has also been set on fire.
South Sudan’s government announced today that more troops and an additional 2,000 police will be deployed to the area.
Medical charity MSF told the BBC today that they have lost contact with over 100 members of staff who are believed to have fled the town along with most of the other inhabitants.
Acting commissioner of Pibor county, Allan Kitero, said most civilians fled southwards for their safety hours before the fighting erupted. No casualties have been yet reported.
After the assault started he flew into Pibor town on a UN helicopter – against the advice of the SPLA and UN – to try and convince the leader of the group to stop the offensive.
Machar was later flown to Juba as the fighting got closer to the airport. Sudan Tribune has been told that the SPLA and UNMISS forces managed to maintain control of the airport.
Some civilians including women and children took refuge overnight at the airstrip.
The Red Cross is calling on the South Sudanese government to restore security to allow a humanitarian assessment to go ahead and for other NGOs to provide support for the thousands of displaced.
Over 1,000 people died last year in fighting between the two groups, which began as cattle raiding but has escalated into revenge attacks.
(ST)