5 killed in Abara Boma as herders devastate Magwi
At least five people have been killed in Abara Boma of Magwi County, Eastern Equatoria State by unidentified armed cattle keepers on Wednesday.
The SSPDF sector-two commander of Magwi County, Maj Gen. Simon Kulang told The City Review that the attack came days after the herders from Jonglei State living in the area were attacked leaving at least 23 dead, 27 wounded.
“Yesterday, the attack happened at 3 pm in the evening. The youth from Jonglei came and attacked the community, burnt the houses and then killed five people. One is an old woman who was burnt inside the house and the other one is a fifteen years old girl and three men,” Maj Gen Kulang said.
He stated that the barracks of the engineering corps were also attacked by the youth from the host community as a result of the revenge attack this morning.
“This is what happened yesterday in Abara Boma. Even now our situation is not okay. 15 minutes before, the youth in the area came and attacked our Barrack in Obama. It has attacked engineering corps protecting the bridge and this is the youth. They have now turned the fighting to the government soldiers,” he said.
Maj Gen. Kulang called on the governors of Eastern Equatoria State, Central Equatoria State and Jonglei State to devise means and defuse the conflict between herders and the host communities.
“We need the intervention from the two governors. The fighting has involved three states now, Jonglei State, Eastern Equatoria State and Central Equatoria State. This area where the fighting occurred now is the area of Central Equatoria State,” he stated.
“We need intervention between the two governors or the three governors to come on the ground and assess the situation and talk to the youth, so that there will be a solution.”
The attack
On Monday, the Coordinator for Greater Upper Nile Peace and Reconciliation Initiative, Abraham Makur Duot, who is among the herders said, the death toll of the attack on herders in Magwi County had risen to 23. He said 27 people have been wounded while some women and children were missing.
Duot said a number of cattle had been recovered as several others were scattered in the bushes within Nyolo Village of Magwi County.
“The incident claimed 23 lives and 27 wounded and we brought them to Juba here. These organized forces did not come from heaven; they are being organized here. Everyone in Equatoria knows even the Commissioner of Magwi knows that,” Duot said.
The authorities in Eastern Equatoria State dismissed the claims, saying that the attackers were a group of unidentified cattle raiders.
On Sunday, Duot claimed the raiders were heavily armed with RPGs, PKMs, and AK47s, and wearing the uniforms.
“I believe is a well-coordinated attack to raid and move cattle out of the area,” he said.
The chairman of Bor Community Youth Association, Bior Kwer Bior, accused the National Salvation Front (NAS) forces of the attack.
“The report that we have is that there are NAS forces,” Dr. Kuer said in a statement on Facebook.
“Because they used heavy machine guns and motors on the IDPs … the situation is still volatile because there are people who are still missing. It is not clear whether they are killed or wounded.”
