The local authorities in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) insist armed youth from parts of the neighboring Jonglei State are on the way to attack their area.
GPAA Information Minister Jacob Werchum Jouk told Radio Tamazuj Friday that some of the armed youth have already arrived at the GPAA borders and are poised to attack any time.
“Lou Nuer and Bor youths from Jonglei State have left their villages and they are now at our borders ready to attack. Our local administrators in areas close to the border have discharged youth who confirmed the presence of these heavily armed youth,” he said. “So, the western parts of Pibor, especially Gumuruk and Likuangole, might be attacked this or next week.”
Werchum, who also serves as the GPAA spokesperson, said the attack was imminent and that the development is worrying.
“Unfortunately, we are for peace while our neighbors in Jonglei State are mobilizing to attack us,” he stated.
The minister said they have officially reached out to their Jonglei State counterparts to de-escalate the tensions, emphasizing that gains made through the past peace initiatives could be lost if inter-communal violence was allowed to resume.
For her part, Nyamar Lony, the Jonglei State information minister, said the GPAA government’s accusation was staged and intended to cover up for intermittent attacks by Pibor youth in their state.
“As we speak, we are under attack. Pamai was attacked yesterday (Thursday) leaving one dead and five injured including one in a very critical condition in a Pieri health facility,” she said. “So, how could our youth attack while they are being attacked? So, these allegations by the GPAA government are not true and it is their youth who are currently in our territories.”
Meanwhile, Ter Manyang, a civil society activist who doubles as the executive director of the Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA), said a lack of political will was to blame for the intermittent inter-communal violence in Jonglei State and GPAA and that the two government’s trading of accusation was a worrying trajectory.
“During the recently concluded Governor’s Forum, it was evident that our leaders are not ready to tackle issues facing our communities at the grassroots. The governors of Eastern Equatoria and Jonglei State and the chief administrator of the GPAA were trading accusations and showing a lack of leadership,” he said. “Let underlying factors like poor roads and lack of collaboration between youth and women from Jonglei State and GPAA be improved.”
Manyang added, “In the dry season like this, it is commonplace to witness inter-communal violence in Greater Jonglei and these accusations used to be the first stage of these attacks. Our government should therefore intervene now, including by deploying the unified forces.”