At least five students were killed and four others injured while several others are still missing following an attack in Ethiopia near the South Sudan-Ethiopia border by armed assailants on students who were traveling to Jonglei State’s Akobo County on Sunday.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Monday evening, Akobo County Commissioner Puok Nyang Tutjiek said the injured were evacuated to Akobo Town on Monday morning and are currently receiving treatment there.
He said the identity of the assailants remains unknown because the attack happened on the Ethiopian side of the border. He however claimed that armed Anyuak youth were involved in the attack.
“The incident occurred in an area between Khankan and Gangrial where those students were passing to reach Akobo. However, they were waylaid and five of them were killed, four injured and others are missing,” he stated. “There has been problem a between Gajaak Nuer and Ethiopian Anyuak so people are saying that maybe Ethiopian Anyuak were involved. However, we cannot rule out that Murle youth could also be involved.”
Attempts to reach Ethiopian authorities or those in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) for comment were futile.