Abducted people rescued, cows recovered in Jonglei state
December 3, 2017 (JUBA) – South Sudan government says it recovered all cows that were stolen and people abducted during last week’s raid on a village in Duk Payuel county of Jonglei state.
The minister said the death toll of civilians killed in the attack had reached 70, attributing the rise in figure to lack of immediate medical care.
A joint force of the army, police and security agents has been deployed, he said.
The head of the United Nations mission in South Sudan, David Shearer earlier condemned the “horrific” killing of civilians in the Jonglei region when a Murle ethnic group attacked a Dinka village.
He urged both communities to reign on the youth to show restraint and to put an end to the cycle of revenge killings.
“It is crucial that the national and local authorities support the community leaders and work to bring the perpetrators of all attacks to account”, said Shearer.
Since 2013, the Murle and Dinka communities in South Sudan’s Jonglei region, which is in the central part of the East African nation, have been engaged in long-standing inter-ethnic violence that has operated outside the wider political conflict in South Sudan.
The latest attack on the villages of Duk Panyang and Duk Payuel came after the two rival communities signed a peace agreement end their continuous feud in May.
South Sudan descended into violence in December 2013 after political dispute between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy turned rebel chief Riek Machar led to an outbreak of a civil war, which has killed thousands and displaced millions.
(ST)