The Jonglei State authorities have confirmed that the death toll from an attack on cattle camps in Nyolo, in Eastern Equatoria’s Magwi County, has risen to 35.
The authorities put the number of those injured at 43.
The Dinka Bor community Secretary General, Mayom Ateny Wai, told Radio Tamazuj Sunday morning that the attackers were identified as members of the Murle community from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area.
“The number of causalities among the herders from the Dinka Bor community has arisen to 35 deaths and 43 injuries so far. From the identification of the bodies that were found, the attackers are believed to be members of the Murle community from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area. On the side of attackers, 28 people were killed,” Wai said.
He accused the Eastern Equatoria State authorities of conspiring with the Murle community to target the Dinka Bor herders in what he termed a massacre. He called on the National Government to intervene and hold the responsible parties accountable.
The Greater Pibor Administrative Area Information Minister, Jacob Werhum Juok, denied any knowledge of the incident, stating that the attack was not reported to his office, and they only heard of it through the social media.
“We are not aware about the incident. We only heard on the media that there was an attack in Eastern Equatoria. We do not have anything to comment about because it happened in another state,” Werchum said.
Eastern Equatoria State Acholi community leader David Otim Okot told Radio Tamazuj that the attack on the Dinka Bor community of Jonglei State was driven by longstanding frustrations of some members of the Magwi County community.