At least six cattle traders were killed and seven injured in a road ambush by armed men in Uror County of Jonglei state on Friday morning, local officials said. Another trader succumbed to his injuries on Saturday.
Tang Chatim, Uror County Commissioner, told Radio Tamazuj Friday that the traders were taking cattle for sale in the state capital, Bor when they met their fate on Friday morning.
“About 40 of our local youth and traders left Yuai town to take their cattle for sale in Bor. On reaching the Luorbieldeng area between Uror and Gadiang at 3 am, they were ambushed. Six were killed on the spot and seven others injured,” Tang explained.
The county commissioner said the attackers are unknown but that armed youth from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) could have carried out the attack which also left about 1000 cattle raided.
Peter Gatbel Machar, the county police inspector, said the assailants escaped immediately after the attack.
“No one was arrested, those attackers killed six traders on the spot and another one later died the following day in Gadiang. About 1,000 cattle were raided but our youth were able to find some of them scattered in the bushes, “ he said.
For his part, Nyany Korok, the GPAA human rights commission, said they are not aware of the incident.
“We are not aware of it. But criminals could have been behind the attack on those traders. As a government, we are committed to finding peace with our Jonglei state counterparts,” he said.