Warrap state gov’t asks Unity state to apprehend criminals after Gogrial East attack left 15 dead

KUAJOK/BENTIU – The government of South Sudan’s Warrap State is demanding that armed criminals coming from Unity state’s Mayom County who killed at least 15 people in Gogrial East County last week be apprehended.

On 27th May, armed youth allegedly entered the area from neighboring Unity State’s Mayom and attacked villages in Gogrial East Country killing at least 15 people and leaving 17 others wounded.

Those killed include 5 children, 2 women, a girl, and 7 elderly men.

Their houses and shops were also burned.

“We call on the Unity State Government and Mayom County, in particular, to strongly condemned and apprehend the culprits,” Ring Deng Ading, State Minister of Information said in a press statement issued on Monday.

Deng said “we are shocked by this violent act and send our condolences to the families of the deceased”.

The minister appealed to humanitarian agencies to assist the affected community with food, shelter, and medicines.

“We call on the government and authorities of Unity State at all levels to protect civilians and these attacks must not continue,” he said.

Gabriel Hon Makuei, Unity State Minister of Information, said the government is planning to intensify security along the border to mitigate the issues of cattle raiding.

“The government is planning to send the division four commands to mitigate the issues of cattle raiding at the cross border,” Makuei told Sudans Post on Phone this morning from Bentiu.

“I don’t think whether there is any benefit from cattle raiding. Those armed youth moving around the two states are not commanded by the government to carry out the attack,” he said. “They are unknown criminals and we consider them as thieves and I think likewise to Warrap State.”

According to the UN Mission in South Sudan, cattle-related killings and revenge attacks remain the biggest insecurity challenges since decline of political violence in 2019.

The 2018 revitalized peace agreement for South Sudan mandates that the leaders to conduct nationwide disarmament and initiate peace-building activities to restore social cohesion among the communities of South Sudan.