Authorities in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) have accused armed youth from Bor County of Jonglei State of launching an attack on Gumuruk County, triggering violent clashes that lasted for hours on Saturday.
Peter Ajany Kaimoi, GPAA Local Government Minister, told Radio Tamazuj that the attack began in the afternoon and continued into the evening, targeting the villages of Mau and Ram.
“On Saturday at 11 pm, I received a call from the commissioner of Gumuruk County, informing me that fighting had erupted in his area,” Kaimoi said. “The attack started at 2 pm and continued until 6 pm. We are still gathering details, but this was an unprovoked assault by armed youth from Jonglei.”
Kaimoi, who also serves as the acting GPAA Information Minister, condemned the attack, describing it as a deliberate act of aggression. He said a delegation plans to visit Gumuruk on Sunday to assess the damage and investigate the incident further.
Casualty figures and the extent of property losses, including cattle raided, remain unclear. However, local officials fear the attack may have caused significant harm to civilians and livelihoods in the area.
Efforts to reach Jonglei State officials for comment were unsuccessful. Information Minister Nyamar Lony said she was unable to respond as she was outside the state on official duty.
The GPAA administration has called for an immediate investigation into the attack and urged national authorities to intervene to prevent further violence.