Two boys were killed and two others injured in two separate ordnance explosion incidents in Jonglei State’s Uror County.
James Gatkhor Gatluak, the Uror County commissioner, told the press Thursday that the latest incident occurred on the outskirts of Yuai Town on Tuesday when two boys accidentally triggered an abandoned device with which they were playing.
“On 10 February, in a village just an hour’s walk from the town called Kuerdit, two boys detonated a grenade with which they were playing. As a result, one died, and another one was injured,” he stated. “The other incident was in a swamp, also on the outskirts of the town, just the day prior. Here, two boys were also involved, resulting in one dead and the other injured. The injured boy was rushed to a health facility in Poktap, Duk County.”
The commissioner urged intervention, saying the area was becoming unsafe for the local population, which is returning home in the aftermath of the recent fighting there.
“We urge relevant agencies dealing with the removal of land mines and unexploded ordnance to come to assess and remove these explosives,” he appealed.
Meanwhile, Gatluak Reat, a lawmaker representing Uror in the state legislative assembly, echoed the commissioner’s call for intervention and urged parents to advise children to be cautious.
“All these grenade explosion incidents involved underage boys who collect them from residences or nearby bushes and play with them,” he stated. “So, parents should take precautionary measures while appealing to our national government and aid agencies to consider removing these explosives as security improves and our communities return.”