Authorities in South Sudan’s Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) say tensions remained high over the weekend following attacks by armed Jonglei State youth in GPAA's Nanaam village on Friday.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj Sunday, Nyabok Ngali, the GPAA Secretary-General, said: “Our areas have been under attacks since Friday morning. Youth groups from Ayod, Fangak, Duk, and Twic East are the ones carrying out the attacks. They captured villages of Kongoor and Tanyang.”
The government official, however, pointed out that details into the clashes remain scanty.
“As of this (Sunday) morning, there is no confrontation. But those attackers are still in our area. There are no details about those killed because that area is cut off. Several civilians are however fleeing towards Pibor town,” he said.
David Ngero, the external secretary for Pibor Youth Union, urged the national government to intervene by convincing the Jonglei youth to withdraw, saying the ongoing clashes may trigger more cyclic violence.
For his part, Joseph Mayen Akoon, the Jonglei state police commissioner, condemned the attack by Jonglei youth on their neighbors in GPAA.
“We are informed that youth groups from Jonglei are fighting in Pibor to recover their cows. As a government, we do not encourage such attacks. We are not happy with the ongoing clashes in Pibor. Several attempts were made to convince those angry youth not to go to Pibor but were not successful,” he said.
The police officer urged the Jonglei youth to seek a non-violent approach to address their concerns.