Local officials in Pochalla County said they have received credible reports that armed youth from Pibor County in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) had been mobilized and were moving to launch fresh attacks in Pochalla.
Since 18 September, there have been intermittent clashes between local Anyuak youth and members of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) in Pochalla town, the county headquarters.
The clashes which started on Monday after the former SSPDF commander in the area, Col. Okony Okwom Othow, was shot dead at his house in Pochalla town on Sunday by his SSPDF colleagues, has left 10 youths dead while 8 others were injured.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday, Owety Olung, the acting Pochalla County commissioner, said Murle youths were mobilized and armed in the Murouo area and that they had since Monday started moving to attack areas in Pochalla.
“A helicopter carrying guns and ammunition landed in Muruo and then Murle youths were mobilized and armed by the SSPDF commander there and GPAA officials. On Monday, those youths started heading for Pochalla with intentions of carrying out attacks,” he revealed. “Our youth have left the town to fight off the advancing armed youth. Since Monday, we told them not to attack the military barracks because it is a symbol of our country though the army in Pochalla has chosen to be a party to politics in Greater Pibor.”
“Even now, there are 15 SSPDF soldiers with us who refused to join this senseless fight,” Acting Commissioner Olung said.
For his part, Charles Wello Onyony, a lawmaker representing Pochalla County in the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA), said the ongoing fighting in Pochalla was premeditated to exterminate the Anyuak people for opposing the GPAA and that excessive military power was being used.
“It is for the first time in South Sudan that gunships are being used to carry out airstrikes on civilians. We wonder who even gives such approval,” he wondered. “Again, Murle youths are being mobilized and given guns and ammunition by GPAA to attack Pochalla, Otallo, and Ajwara. For us, we are suffering and we do not have a son in the military leadership to support us with weapons or ammunitions or even for our concerns to be heard.”
“This fighting was initiated by the GPAA authorities and they are now using government resources to fight the Anyuak,” Wello added.
He said he raised the matter in parliament on Tuesday because the Anyuak are being treated as if they are not one of the tribes in South Sudan.
Responding to the claims by the Pochalla County officials, Abraham Kelang, the GPAA information minister, said no youth have been mobilized to attack Pochalla and that the ongoing fighting there involved government troops and a rebel group.
“There is no mobilization of our youth to attack the Anyuak community. The ongoing clashes involved a rebellious group opposing and fighting the government,” he said. “There is no grouping of normal citizens. As a government, we plan to find a peaceful settlement to this issue.”
However, Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang, the SSPDF spokesperson, said the allegations by the Pochalla officials were baseless fabrications.
“We have enough forces with our Brigade 23 in Greater Pibor and we are still holding our positions. So, there is no need for civilians to be mobilized to fight on our side,” he said. “A brigade commander does not have authority to use military aircraft and these are just fabrications.”
“On the issue of airstrikes, gunships were used at our request to rescue our soldiers because those armed youth overran our trenches at the southern part of the barracks,” Gen. Ruai added.