At least two people were killed and eight others sustained injuries when soldiers from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLA-IO) and civilians fought in Panyijiar County’s Pachienjok Payam in Unity State on Monday morning.
The head of a local cattle camp, Kuony Lam, told Radio Tamazju that his side lost one person identified as Ruon Khan, and five were injured while the SPLA-IO lost one person. He said Commissioner Gabriel Magok Bol accused the members of the cattle camp of rustling 46 head of cattle from neighboring Lakes State three days ago, an allegation Lam denied.
“The authorities deployed SPLA-IO soldiers to surround our cattle camp early on Monday morning to arrest the suspects who allegedly stole cattle from Lakes State,” he explained. “On our side, one person was killed and the five people sustained injuries at the place where the incident (fighting) took place. On the side of the SPLA-IO, we only know one person lost his life because we saw the deceased outside the cattle camp and he was wearing a military uniform.”
Lam said the commissioner is responsible for the clashes because “he is the one who attacked us this (Monday) morning.”
Separately, an eyewitness who preferred anonymity for fear of reprisal told this publication that fighting erupted at 6:27 a.m. on Monday when SPLA-IO soldiers from Panyijiar County Headquarters attacked a civilian cattle camp in Parchenjok Payam.
“When the soldiers arrived, they started asking the residents of the villages where the Ruon Khan was. The residents said they did not know anyone by that name yet they knew him but they wanted to first know why soldiers were looking for their village mate,” he narrated. “When the soldiers saw Ruon Khan, they just started shooting at him until they killed him and that is when the fighting between the youth and SPLA-IO soldiers started.”
Meanwhile, Panyijiar County Commissioner Gabriel Magok Bol confirmed the incident and attributed it to a criminal who routinely moves stolen cattle from Lakes State to Unity State.
“It is true that this (Monday) morning there was fighting between SPLA-IO soldiers and civilian criminals who went and stole 46 head of cattle from Lakes State three days ago. Two people were killed, one civilian and a soldier. Three soldiers from the side of SPLA-IO sustained injuries but I do not know the casualties from the side of the criminals who stole cattle,” he said. “Last year we signed an agreement with our counterparts and communities in Lakes State to stop cattle raiding and we are implementing it.”