At least three people were killed and 650 head of cattle raided during an attack on a cattle camp in Pamai town in Jonglei State’s Uror County on Wednesday, authorities said.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, Uror County Commissioner Machot Gatluak Kenyjak said the attack on the Wikol Payam headquarters of Pamai was provocative.

“On Wednesday at 3 p.m., a cattle camp in Pamai was attacked and three people were killed on the spot while 650 cattle were raided,” he stated. “As the Lou Nuer Community, we condemn this attack because it happened while we are for peace.”

The local government top official said armed youth suspected to have come from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) were involved in the attack and demanded that GPAA authorities apprehend the suspected attackers.

“If such attacks continue unabated, it may not end well because in less than two months we had two peace conferences held in Likuangole in GPAA and Akobo County in Jonglei State,” he warned. “However, since then, we remain under attack by Murle youth. So our GPAA counterparts should stop this.”

When contacted, GPAA Information Minister Abraham Kelang said the accusation was a pretext for an imminent attack on GPAA.

“It is unlikely true that our people attacked Uror. What we know is that when these people want to attack us, they create a pretext,” he charged. “As we speak, a force of 2,000 men under the command of a Brigadier General left Uror two days ago to attack us.”