Lawmaker, diaspora community leader denounce killing of civilians in Unity State

RUBKONA – A South Sudanese lawmaker and a diaspora community leader have condemned the killing of civilians in northern Unity State, calling for investigations and accountability following a deadly attack on a cattle camp that left at least 14 people dead and more than 20 wounded.

The condemnations came after armed assailants attacked a cattle camp in Oafra area of Payangai village, Budang Payam, in Rubkona County on Tuesday night. Unity State authorities said the attack killed 14 people, including six children, and wounded 23 others.

Unity State Information Minister Nyakenya Johannes Keah told Sudans Post on Wednesday morning that the attackers came from neighboring Ruweng Administrative Area.

“At Oafra, in Payangai, of Budang Payam of Rubkona County, that is another part of Rubkona, criminals from Ruweng Administrative Area came and launched an attack at the cattle camps around there,” she said.

“So far we have confirmed that 14 people have been killed. That includes about six children, six men, a woman and one girl,”  she added.

Both said 23 other people were receiving treatment at medical facilities in the oilfields area and that the Rubkona County commissioner had already traveled to the scene in an effort to restore calm.

The attack was initially reported to have killed 13 people, but Sudans Post has learned that one of the wounded later succumbed to injuries, raising the death toll to 14.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Rubkona County lawmaker at the national parliament Michael Banychieng Puok Kuiny condemned the attack and described it as a violation of the country’s laws and peace agreement.

“To take 14 lives in cold blood is not just a crime against our humanity, but a crime against the Transitional Constitution, and against the very spirit of the Revitalized Peace Agreement, the R-ARCSS,” Banychieng said.

The lawmaker called on security authorities and government institutions to identify and prosecute those responsible for the killings.

“Security forces and State/Area authorities must move without delay to identify, apprehend, and bring to justice all perpetrators involved in this attack. There should be no safe haven for criminals targeting civilians,” he said.

Banychieng also urged the leadership of Ruweng Administrative Area to cooperate with investigations.

“RAA leadership must publicly denounce this act and hand over the criminals to the law,” he said.

The lawmaker further called for humanitarian access to affected families and for enhanced protection of civilians in vulnerable areas of Unity State.

Separately, Kalany Tekjiek Nyany, chairman of the Leek Community in Diaspora, expressed condolences to the victims’ families and condemned what he described as the deliberate targeting of civilians.

“On behalf of the Leek Community in Diaspora, I express our profound sorrow and strongest condemnation of the recent attack that resulted in the killing of 14 innocent civilians and the wounding of 21 others,” Nyany said in a statement.

“The deliberate targeting of civilians is unacceptable and must never be tolerated under any circumstances. Such acts deepen suffering, undermine peace efforts, and threaten the stability and coexistence of our communities,” he added.

Nyany called on the government and security institutions to conduct an immediate and impartial investigation into the attack and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.

“We further urge the government to strengthen civilian protection measures and to implement comprehensive, lawful, and impartial disarmament initiatives aimed at removing illegal weapons from the hands of armed individuals and groups who continue to threaten innocent lives,” he said.

The attack also drew condemnation from Rubkona County authorities, who described it as a “heinous armed attack” against civilians.

In a statement issued by the Office of the Commissioner, the county government alleged that heavily armed youths from neighboring Ruweng Administrative Area carried out the assault.

The county government said the attack killed 14 civilians, most of them women and children, and wounded 21 others.

The statement further claimed that six of the attackers were killed during the confrontation and that four of the dead attackers were found wearing South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) uniforms.

“Notably, four of the deceased attackers were found in full South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) uniforms, raising grave concerns regarding the involvement of uniformed personnel in this criminal act,” the statement said.

The county authorities called on the national government to investigate the presence of uniformed personnel among the attackers and to hold all perpetrators accountable.

The allegations regarding the uniforms could not be independently verified, and neither the SSPDF nor authorities in the Ruweng Administrative Area immediately commented on the claims.

The latest attack is not the first deadly incident in the area. Northern Unity State has witnessed recurring cattle raids, intercommunal violence, and insecurity linked to territorial disputes with neighboring Ruweng Administrative Area.

Community leaders have also reported attacks in recent months by Arab ethnic militias allied with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) operating along South Sudan’s border with Sudan, heightening fears of growing instability in the region.