The Northern Bahr el Ghazal State government has confirmed that armed horse-riding Masseriya tribesmen from Sudan on Tuesday morning attacked and overrun a village in Aweil East County killing and injuring people in the process.
Joseph Akook Aleu, the Northern Bahr el Ghazal State security adviser, told Radio Tamazuj Tuesday afternoon that the assailants came from the Sudanese border town of Mairem and attacked the Yihn Pabol area in the northern part of Aweil East County. He said the preliminary information he had put the casualty rate at 2 dead and 4 injured.
“The attack which took place today (Tuesday) morning in the Yihn Pabol area was implemented by the armed Masseriya. They killed two and injured four people and I am on my way now to the scene to investigate the incident,” Akook said.
He added: “All the villagers have vacated the area because the attackers came in big numbers riding horses and carrying modern weapons and this is a clear indication that they are targeting our citizens.”
The representative of the Masseriya community in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, Ibrahim Marek, who is also a senior member of the border peace committee comprised of the Dinka Malual and Masseriya, condemned the attack and called on the Sudanese government to immediately intervene to avoid further escalation.
“First of all, we want to condemn the attack in the strongest terms possible and we urge the government of Sudan to immediately intervene,” Marek said.
An independent journalist in the area who preferred anonymity said the Masseriya militias were seen mobilizing in Mairem and riding their horses to the South Sudan border where the incident took place.
“I got a phone call from Mairem (Sudan) at midday today (Tuesday) that mobilization is taking place there and many Masseriya fighters were riding their horses to the South Sudan-Sudan border,’’ the journalist said.