The local authorities in Upper Nile State’s Longechuk County said one person has died and eight others were injured during an airstrike in Mathiang Village on Sunday evening that also destroyed properties and caused panic.
The Executive Director of Longechuk County, Dobuol Dol Bichok, confirmed to Radio Tamazuj that a gunship believed to be owned by the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF), carried out airstrikes on Mathiang Center which has a population of nearly 30,000 civilians, who are now living in panic and that some are on the run.
“Women, girls, and boys are now living in the bush. The airstrikes also caused damage to at least seven houses,” he reported. “The wounded people are now with us and we could not do anything to them because the only health facility in the area is not working.”
The official explained that there is speculation that the attack might have been carried out by the Government of South Sudan due to the fighting in Nasir last week or by the Sudanese Armed Forces as part of their operations against the RSF.
“We are accusing these two sides; the Government of South Sudan and the Sudan Armed Forces,” he stated.
Dol appealed to the government to immediately investigate the incident and identify those behind the attack.
“We are South Sudanese citizens and we have not rebelled against the government and we are not part of Nasir’s problem,” he said. “If it is the Government of South Sudan carrying out these strikes against its citizens, does that mean peace is no longer there?”