A woman was killed in a road ambush and two children abducted while playing at a stream in Jonglei State’s Duk County on Monday, authorities said.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, Duk County Commissioner John Chatim Ruei said that in the first incident, armed assailants attacked a group of children playing at stream and abducted two of them, while a woman was waylaid and killed later the same day.
“In Pajut at 3pm, some children playing at the stream were attacked, and a boy and girl abducted,” he stated.
“Later the same day, some people moving from Duk Pagak to Duk Padiet payams were waylaid, resulting in the death of a woman and the injuring of a man.”
The Commissioner condemned the attack and claimed a group from the neighboring Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) was involved.
However, GPAA Information Minister Jacob Werchum Jouk said they were not aware of the attack and that none of their youth could have crossed borders to attack in Jonglei State.
These latest incidents come as officials from Jonglei State and GPAA meet in Juba to end potential reoccurrence of vicious violence there as the dry spell sets in.
Earlier, the Executive Director of INTREPID South Sudan (ISS), Bol Deng Bol, said reports of attacks and counter attacks were worrying and reiterated calls for dialogue.
“Recently, some youth in Jonglei State marched and overran villages in Pibor, responding to repeated attacks by Murle youth. These attacks in Jonglei State could also be seen as revenge,” he stated.
“Our conclusion as a civil society is that the leadership is not willing to end the killings in Jonglei State and GPAA. We have been urging our government to prioritize dialogue and put up a buffer zone, but nothing has been done. We are reiterating the calls for dialogue with action.”