3 dead, 2 missing after Rumbek Central County attack

JUBA – Local authorities in Amongpiny Payam of Rumbek Central County in Lakes State confirmed that 3 people were killed, 1 wounded and 2 are still missing after armed youth alleged to be from the neighboring Panyijar County in Unity State launched several attacks in Amongpiny Payam at 2 am on Wednesday, Radio Tamazuj reports.

The Amongpiny Payam administrator, Peter Maluet Majur, told Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday: “The armed Nuer youth from neighboring Panyijar made 7 attacks in the night hours and they killed 3 people, wounded 1 and 2 are missing in the forest but they are not confirmed dead.”

He added: “They came and surrounded the area while people were sleeping at night and they started shooting at people. The armed Nuer youth attackers came from Puol-Mok Payam of Panyijar County of Unity State.”

Maluet said the assailants attacked the Amongpiny fishing grounds in the wee hours of Wednesday and retreated to their county and that the situation was now normal.

“I know the names of three people killed by the armed Nuer youth and were identified by the chiefs as Mau Manyool Dhuor, Mamer Madut Mamer, and the other Amukpiu Marial Amukpiu,” Maluet said. “These are the three people killed, but 2 people are still missing.”

He attributed the attacks to cyclic killings and conflicts which have not been resolved.

The information minister in Unity State, Gabriel Hon Makuei Bol, said he has heard about the attacks and confirmed it was perpetrated by armed youth from his state.

“There were some criminal youths from Panyijar County who went to Amongpiny and started to kill people for nothing, without reason, but they did not raid cattle,” Minister Bol said. “It is not a revenge attack but this is a criminal act. We consider it as a criminal act because people are in peace and some people went and killed people in their places.”

He wondered why the youth from Panyijar would attack the people of Amongpiny who are hosting Panyijar IDPs.

“There is no telephone network communication in Panyijar County. I have been trying to find out from the commissioner there but there is no way to get information about the whereabouts of the suspects and to find out whether they have been apprehended or not,” Minister Bol said.

He however added that security forces in Panyijar clashed with the suspected criminals on Thursday in an area called Yiethkar.