At least one wildlife officer and four of his family members were killed in an attack in Kideopo Wildlife Base, located in Budi County of South Sudan's Eastern Equatoria state on Sunday.

Akileo Mboya Peter Anyanga, Budi County Commissioner told Radio Tamazuj that some armed men stormed the Kideopo Wildlife Base and heartlessly killed a 41-year-old Buya man identified only as Michael, his wife, and their children.

Mboya said the attackers are suspected to be from Ikotos County.

“It is true that on the second of May at around 3 am, some people came and attacked the Wildlife Base in Kideopo leaving five people dead; one woman and a wildlife officer who lost the entire family, the wife, and the children. We followed the foot marks, the foot marks entered to Ikotos County,” he added.  

He condemned the attack on a government institution and said they are investigating possible motives to the criminal act with officials from Ikotos County.

“We want the authorities on the other side to confirm whether something might happen to the other side that resulted in this. Could it be a revenge issue, could it be what, so this is what we are trying to verify with the authorities of Ikwoto County. We have shared over the phone several times and we put plans even to meet one another especially along this Kideopo Valley so that we see how best we can address these issues,” Mboya noted. 

For his part, Ikotos County Commissioner Joseph Lokolong said information about the incident remains scanty but he is working with payam chiefs to get the full information.

“I didn’t get any information clearly about it but I will still write to the Payam Chief of Chahari and also I will write to the Payam Chief of Chorokol so that they have to get me the report, in case of anything so that I will be answerable,” he said.