Clashes erupted in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area’s (GPAA) Likuangole County on Sunday following an attack allegedly carried out by SPLA-IO and their allied Nuer White Army militia, authorities said.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Monday, Jacob Werchum Jouk, the GPAA information minister, said the clashes erupted after SPLA-IO forces loyal to the suspended First Vice President Riek Machar and the White Army invaded the border village of Wuno in Likuangole on Sunday morning.
He said the local youth had mobilized and were engaged in intense fighting with the attackers throughout Sunday, and that they had managed to push them to neighboring Uror County in Jonglei State, where they had come from.
“Our local youth engaged the attackers throughout the day, and they were pushed back,” he said. “They came from Uror County, particularly in the Yuai area.”
The minister declined to reveal casualty details, saying they were still gathering information. However, he said that calm has been restored in the area.
“We are still gathering details on the casualties. Our youth are in full control of the area. They managed to hold the advance by the attackers and pushed them back,” he said.
Calls to Jonlei State Information Minister Nyamar Lony went unanswered.
James Gatkhor Gatluak, Uror County commissioner, could not immediately be reached as his known phone numbers were out of reach.
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