Armed youth attack IDPs welcoming governor near Malakal airport

JUBA – Community leaders in South Sudan’s Upper Nile state capital Malakal are saying that a group of armed youth this morning attacked IDPs who were heading to Malakal airport to welcome the newly appointed governor Abudhok Anyang.

One community leader at the Malakal POC said they were heading to the airport when they were attacked with machetes and later on guns by a group of suspected Apadang armed youth resulting in the killing and wounding of innocent civilians.

“What happened is that we were heading to the airport to welcome the governor in the morning. As soon as we left the camp, we were attacked with machetes and stones and after that a group of armed men attacked us and they killed three people and five people were wounded,” the community leader said.

A state government official separately said the incident has subsided and the swearing in of state transitional cabinet was ongoing saying the situation has returned to normalcy after the intervention of state police.

“That thing has stopped and everything is under the police control. I we speak, the swearing ceremony for the ministers is ongoing,” the official who spoke to Sudans Post from Malakal said on condition of anonymity because he is not permitted to speak to the media.