Authorities in South Sudan’s Warrap State said Monday that at least 13 people were killed and several others wounded in separate incidents in Tonj East County, including attacks on cattle camps and the killing of local chiefs.
Local officials said one paramount chief and his deputy were killed over the weekend, while at least 11 others, including boys and girls, died in ongoing fighting in the Luachjang area.
Tonj East County Commissioner Machuei Bith Bol told Radio Tamazuj that suspected armed youth believed to have come from Mayom County in Unity State attacked cattle camps in remote swampy areas far from the county headquarters.
He said security forces had not intervened because of logistical constraints and the distance to the area, adding that available forces were deployed at the county headquarters in Romic.
“As of Monday, fighting is ongoing in Luachjang section where joint rebel forces and armed youth from Mayom County attacked cattle camps,” Bith said.
“We have received reports from local authorities that 11 people, including vulnerable boys and girls, have been killed. The number of wounded could be high, and some are being taken to health centers in Romic,” he added.
Bith said a comprehensive casualty report, including possible losses from Mayom County, would be available Tuesday evening, noting that communication in the area is limited.
In a separate incident, Bith said armed youth killed a paramount chief on Sunday and later murdered the area’s head chief the same day.
“The security situation is generally calm, but notorious armed youth killed a paramount chief on Sunday and also murdered the head chief,” he said. “We have not yet apprehended the perpetrators, but security personnel are pursuing them.”
Meanwhile, Moses Madot, a member of parliament representing Tonj East County in Warrap State’s constituency No. 25, confirmed the violence and said the death toll could rise.
“Five men were killed and four others also lost their lives in Tonj East this morning (Monday),” Madot said. “The fighting is ongoing, and the number could increase because some victims may still be lying in the tall grass. Communication challenges make it difficult to confirm the full toll.”
Attempts to reach authorities in Unity State for comment were unsuccessful.