The death toll resulting from the recent attack on Duk Payuel County in Jonglei state has risen to 69 people confirmed dead and many more still missing, a government official said on Friday.
On Tuesday last week, suspected Murle tribesmen attacked Duk Payuel, the headquarters of Duk County, killing over 40 people including women and children and burning the town before they were expelled.
However, South Sudan’s information minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, said after the cabinet meeting on Friday that the number confirmed dead had increased to 69 so far according a preliminary report, while many more were still missing.
He also said a large number of residents were displaced by the attack.
Makuei pointed out that the local youth clashed with the attackers and managed to recover all cows that were stolen and people abducted during last week’s attack.
The information minister said the cabinet condemned the incident in the strongest terms possible. “The government calls upon the families to restrain from whatever action and give peace a chance so that we see how best this situation will be addressed,” he said.
The head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, David Shearer earlier condemned the killing of civilians in the Jonglei. He urged the two sides to reign on the youth to show restraint and to put an end to the cycle of revenge killings.