Armed youth from Mayom County of Unity State launched an attack on Apuk Payam of Gogrial East County of Warrap State earlier this week, killing at least five people and injuring three others, a local official said.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday, Gogrial East County Commissioner Maluach Lueth of Gogrial East County said: “Armed men from Unity State came and attacked two families at 11:40 pm in Mangol Payam and killed two people and injured one person in the first house. They then rushed to another house, where they also killed three people. So, the correct information is that three women were killed along with two children aged five and nine years old. Two men and one woman sustained injuries and are currently at Magol Primary Health Care Unit (PHCU) receiving emergency treatment. The injured will be referred to Kuajok Main Hospital.”
He further explained that the area is currently flooded, hampering government intervention efforts. “This border of Unity State, since time immemorial, has had several killings. It is the order of the day; you can talk, and still, killings happen. Now the area is swampy, and there is no accessibility for security forces to intervene,” Commissioner Lueth added.
For his part, Mayom County Commissioner John Bol responded to the allegations and said: “Officials of Gogrial East County didn’t communicate it to me, and there are allegations that five armed youths from Kueryei village in Mayom County left for Magol village. There is no communication network there except the one in Aweng Payam of Warrap State.”
He continued, shedding light on the possible motives behind the attack, “These youth attacked Magol village to avenge the deaths of their people who were allegedly killed two weeks ago at a village in Mayom by suspected youth from Warrap State. Among those killed were a breastfeeding mother and two others.”
Commissioner Bol elaborated on the situation, saying, “The son of the murdered breastfeeding mother, along with four others, were informed by a Nuer person who sold away a gun and ran to Magol, where he married the daughter of a Dinka resident. The Mayom youth are believed to have attacked Magol village. My Executive Director told me on Tuesday morning that one person among the five youths from Mayom was killed. So now I ordered security forces to search for the four remaining youths, and if found, we will arrest them.”
He also highlighted the complex dynamics at the border, stating, “There is confusion between Nuer and Dinka people at the border, saying that they have intermarriages among themselves and they live in Warrap State and Unity State.”
In a related development, Commissioner Bol emphasized the stability of his border with Twic County and efforts to maintain peace. “Mayom County borders Tonj East, Tonj North, Gogrial East, and Twic County, and we have good relations with Twic County. We recently returned 14 cows that were raided by the Nuer people of the Bul community in Unity State to the people of Ajak Kuac Payam in Twic County. Warrap State and I held a meeting with chiefs, and I told the chiefs to inform or identify their sons who are involved in criminal activities. If anything happens, we will hold the chiefs accountable,” he warned.