At least two people were killed, seven children went missing and a village was torched in an attack carried out by armed men in Jebel Boma County of Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) on Tuesday, authorities said.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Friday, Longony Alston, the Jebel Boma County commissioner, said the attackers set the entire village ablaze leaving residents in dire need of aid.
“The attackers killed two people and burnt 75 houses. We do not know the reason for the attack,” he said. “So, we are calling for humanitarian aid because people are suffering.”
The county commissioner claimed the attack was carried out by armed men suspected to have come from Pochalla County and Ethiopia’s Gambella region.
“Actually, no one saw the attackers directly because they attack the village on Tuesday at 4 pm and left but we think they are Anyuak from Ethiopia joined by some South Sudanese Anyuaks. They left behind a banner written Gambella Special Forces,” he said.
For his part, Charles Weelo, a lawmaker representing Pochalla in the national legislative assembly, said the Anyuak youth were not involved in any attack.
“I am not aware of the attack and I am not aware of any Anyuak youth involvement in any attack. As Anyuaks, we have not been fighting anyone but it is us being attacked frequently by our Murle neighbors,” he said.
Efforts to reach the Gambella authorities whose forces were also accused of involvement in the attack were futile.