Fresh confrontations have erupted in Likuangole County of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA), local authorities stated, only days after armed youth from Jonglei State began withdrawing to their territories.
The growing violence began on Christmas Eve, when an armed youth gang from Jonglei State attacked Bich-Bich hamlet in the broader Pibor region.
GPAA authorities said earlier this week that hostilities were easing as armed youngsters began to retreat.
“As Jonglei youth began retreating from portions of Gumuruk, another group began invading Likuangole County,” stated GPAA local government minister Simon Peter Ajeny.
The assault in Lokirimach Payam began two days earlier. They continued to Nyang, where combat is still going on.”
However, the local government minister said that specifics about the battle are still few. He blamed the current assaults on armed youth from Jonglei State and the Gambella area of Ethiopia.
“We don’t have any information on the losses in Likuangole. Meanwhile, in Gumuruk, as we have reported, the last gang of assaulting teenagers is burning villages as they escape,” he stated.
The purported presence of armed teenagers from neighboring Ethiopia in the violence could not be reliably verified by Radio Tamazuj.
Meanwhile, Korok Logilo, a Pibor community leader, has urged the national government to act, claiming that violence is on the rise.
“New assaults are continually taking place in our regions as we speak. What is happening today is an invasion of Murle territory, which we will resist as a community,” he said.
According to Jonglei State Information Minister John Samuel Manyuon, they have yet to corroborate claims of new combat in the wider Pibor area.
“As of yet, we’ve just heard about it through the GPAA government’s report from yesterday. We have yet to confirm this information since the only youngsters we know are those fleeing to Jonglei. We don’t know anything about the new assault. What we know is that the young are fleeing, which is why we were able to collect six children on Thursday,” he said.
