At least four hunters from Bor County have been killed and three others are missing after they were ambushed by suspected Mule youth on Wednesday, Jonglei State police have said.
The four were part of a group of seven hunters who were returning from a hunting expedition when they were attacked by armed men near the border between Bor and Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA), said Jonglei State Police Commissioner Major General Elia Costa.
He said the police dispatched a force to the scene and recovered the bodies of the four slain hunters, including three from Anyidi Payam.
“There was a group of seven youths who mobilized themselves and went hunting, but when they were coming back, they fell into an ambush by unknown criminals. They exchanged fire with the attackers, and three of them were killed on the spot and four were missing, but we sent our forces and found that one also died, and we brought the bodies. Now the number of those killed is four,” Gen. Costa explained.
Gen. Costa said police are still searching for the three missing hunters, whose names have not been disclosed.
For his part, GPAA Information Minister Abraham Keleng said he was not aware of the incident and could therefore not comment on it.
“I don’t have any information about that. I will confirm it from [Jonglei] Spokesperson Elizabeth Nyadak or any commissioner from that side,” he said.
Keleng said the GPAA is committed to maintaining peace and stability in the Greater Jonglei region.
The Dinka Bor and the Murle ethnic groups have had a long history of clashes over cattle raiding, land disputes and revenge killings.
The two sides signed several peace deals brokered by the national government and the United Nations to end the cycle of violence and foster reconciliation, but the spiral of violence continues unabated.
The signed agreements called for the establishment of joint peace committees, the disarmament of civilians, the return of abducted children and women, and the provision of humanitarian assistance to the affected populations.
However, the implementation of the deal has been slow and sporadic, and incidents of violence and insecurity have continued to occur in the area.