Fighting in Mundri erupted yesterday night causing fear among the citizens who are already traumatized by earlier violence, according to local sources from the area.
The fighting is reported to be between SPLA forces and community ‘arrow boys’ who are unhappy with the presence of SPLA in the state. “We did not sleep for the whole night due to the fighting,” said a source from the area.
Some reports earlier claimed that a helicopter gunship carried out attacks in the Mundri area, but the SPLA spokesman denied this saying that a helicopter only went there to pick up SPLA wounded.
Speaking to Radio Miraya yesterday, SPLA spokesman Col. Philip Aguer said tht the army dispatched helicopters to evacuate soldiers who were wounded in an ambush in Mundri last week but he did not give further information about the nature of the fighting.
“No, I don’t have any report about Yambio and Mundri. Maybe let go [me] check with the operation [department] if there has been any fighting there. SPLA helicopter goes only to pick the wounded from Mundri. Last week SPLA was ambushed on the way between Lui and Mundri and the wounded were taken to Mundri.”
He added, “They were evacuated by the SPLA helicopter that is the only helicopter that went there.”
Meanwhile, the caretaker Governor of Western Equatoria State has imposed a curfew in Yambio. Patrick Rafael Zamoi issued a decree restricting movement from 6pm to 6am, saying the purpose of the dawn to dusk curfew is to allow the state security committee stabilize the security situation in the town.
There were reports of gunfire in the state capital Yambio over the weekend.
Map: Western Equatoria State