Dozens killed, 8 others wounded in Jonglei state cattle raid
October 22, 2015 (BOR) – At least 19 people were killed and eight others injured in a cattle raid at Wareh cattle camp in South Sudan’s Jonglei state, local authorities said on Thursday.
“Suspected Murle criminals attacked one of the cattle camp, it was a heavy attack, they [raiders] were heavily equipped, they have a number of machine guns and rocket shells”, the commissioner to Sudan Tribune.
“They [attackers] have killed 12 civilians and seven SPLA soldiers, and wounded seven civilians and one SPLA soldier. Up to now, we have a number of the people who are still missing, including the head of mission of the SPLA,” he added.
The number of people still missing remains unknown, the commissioner disclosed.
Soldiers involved in the attack had reportedly been deployed in Jale to protect civilians. Also, one of the two cattle camps in the area reportedly lost an estimated 1,600 animals.
A number of soldiers, the commissioner said, were sent as reinforcement to the scene of clashes.
But the area Member of Parliament, Kuol Bol Ayom, told Sudan Tribune that the numbers of people killed in the fight were 37 in total. These, he said, included 27 people from Jale, three from Twic East, who were keeping cattle in the same cattle camp.
He also confirmed the death of seven South Sudanese soldiers in the area attacked.
Ayom, however, accused the Murle youth of allegely carrying out the attack in Bor at the time when peace remains a top agenda to reconcile the people of Pibor and Bor, through greater Pibor area administrator, David Yauyau and Jonglei state government.
“My primary suspect is Murle, because they have been attacking all the time, areas like Jale payam, raiding cattle and child abduction”, the lawmaker told Sudan Tribune.
“When Yayau signed the agreement with the government, there was relative peace between Murle and Dinka Bor, although there were still some few incidences here and there. I do understand that Yauyau has got opposition from within, those who are opposing Yauyau. Even if Yauyau stands for peace firmly, there are those who don’t want peace, and they don’t want Yauyau to prosper with his administration”, he stressed.
Those injured, officials, said were taken to Bor civil hospital on Thursday for treatment.
Jale payam has, in recent years, been attacked by raiders mainly targeting cattle camps.
(ST).