A senior education official in Upper Nile State was assaulted by a group of men in Malakal on Thursday afternoon, in an incident that comes amid heightened tensions linked to recent intercommunal violence in Baliet County.
Michael Gwang Awang, Director of Alternative Education at the Upper Nile State Ministry of General Education and Instruction, said he was attacked after leaving the ministry and heading to the Thoura Malakia neighbourhood.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, Mr Gwang said he encountered a group of mourners attending the burial of a man who had reportedly been killed in recent cattle-related clashes in neighbouring Baliet County.
“I was coming from the ministry and passing through the market area when I found people gathered for a burial,” he said. “I did not speak to anyone, but a group of men blocked my way and started beating me.”
Mr Gwang said the attackers, whom he estimated to be seven in number, repeatedly struck him on the head and other parts of his body before fleeing the scene.
He was later rescued by staff from a non-governmental organisation, who transported him to a hospital operated by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) for treatment.
“I suffered injuries to my head and other parts of my body,” he said. “I received medical treatment and was later discharged and taken home.”
Mr Gwang said he believed the attackers were among mourners attending the burial of a member of the Dinka community who was reportedly killed during recent cattle-raiding violence in Baliet County.
He said no arrests had been made. Local authorities had not publicly commented on the incident.
The attack highlights continuing tensions in parts of Upper Nile State, where cattle raids and communal disputes have periodically triggered violence between neighbouring communities.
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