At least 41 boat passengers, including traders, are reportedly missing after armed men opened fire on their boat in the Wangthok Checkpoint in Lakes State’s Yirol East County along the River Nile on Friday.
Unity State Information Minister Engineer Gatwich Bipal Both told Radio Tamzaju on Sunday that the boat left Panyijiar County on Friday en route to Juba before it came under attack in Yirol East County.
“I confirmed from the only passenger who survived the boat attack and swam across the river from Wangthok in Yirol East County to Taiyar Port in Panyijiar County that the other 41 passengers are missing. This is the only person who survived, but the others are still missing,” he said. “We do not know if they (passengers) were killed or abducted by the criminals. The incident took place on Friday at 4 p.m. at Wangthok Checkpoint, and they (criminals) attacked the boat without talking to the passengers.”
“The leadership of Unity State is communicating with our counterparts in Lakes State to arrest and investigate those who attacked the innocent civilians and traders who were travelling to Juba through the River Nile,” Minister Bipal added.
He said the Government of Lake State has promised to work hard to investigate the attack and apprehend the perpetrators.
Speaking to this publication on Monday morning, Dr. Riak Koang, the Program Coordinator of Street Children Care Initiative (SCCI) and a member of the civil society in Unity State, condemned the attack and urged the two state governments to work together to arrest those involved.
“I communicated with the people on the ground, and they confirmed to me that those who were in the boat were attacked and killed by armed youth from Yirol East County,” he stated. “I condemn the attack because it is unlawful for armed youth to attack innocent civilians.”
Efforts to reach Manyang Luke, the commissioner of Yirol East County, for comment were futile as his known telephone contact was unreachable.
The communities of Panyinjiar County, which is a stronghold of the SPLM/A-IO, and their neighbors in Lakes State have often had conflicts associated with cattle rustling. Last week, the SSPDF carried out a series of aerial attacks on areas in Panyijiar County, allegedly targeting cattle rustlers.