At least 15 people were killed and 24 others injured in Warrap State’s Tonj North County when armed youth from Unity State’s Mayom County carried out a cattle raid on Monday.
Tonj North County Commissioner Mawein Akech Mawein told Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday that the cattle owners fought off the rustlers and managed to recover most of the raided cattle.
“10 of the herders from Tonj North died and 24 were injured while five rustlers from Mayom County were killed,” he said.
Commissioner Akech said the Red Cross facilitated the transportation of the 24 critically injured people for medical treatment in Juba.
“The Red Cross has assisted us in transporting the injured people from Tonj North to Juba, where they will receive treatment for the severe wounds that cannot be managed in the county,” he said.
Meanwhile, James Lilly Kuol, the commissioner of Mayom County, confirmed that five youths from his jurisdiction were killed in action in Tonj North County.
“Those are youths from Unity State who have been carrying out criminal activities since the beginning of this year. The authorities in Tonj North County need to be aware of these armed criminals and attack them when they arrive in areas of Tonj North,” he said. “There are criminals in Tonj North who communicate and plan with armed youth from Mayom to jointly attack and raid cattle camps in Tonj North County, according to information we have received there.”
Last week, the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) issued a one-week ultimatum to armed youths in Warrap State and Unity State’s Mayom County to voluntarily surrender their illegal weapons to the government or face forceful disarmament.