An airstrike in Nagero County, Western Equatoria state, killed one person and injured another early Wednesday, according to eyewitnesses who blamed the army for the attack.
Amalia Jendo, a civilian who said her husband was wounded in the airstrike, told Radio Tamazuj that an aircraft attacked a funeral gathering around 5 a.m. She identified the dead man as her neighbor, Gama, and said her husband, Martin Tandi, was injured.
“We were at a funeral today at 5 a.m.,” Jendo said. “The plane was circling and then it attacked.” She said the funeral was for a relative, Agustino Benjamin, who had been recently killed in the area.
Jendo accused the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) of carrying out the bombardment on civilian areas in Bandalla Payam, Lendi, and Maringi boma.
“These are areas of civilians. There are no forces in Kpangu, there are no forces in Bandalla payam, and there are no forces in Lindi and in Maringi boma,” she said, appealing to the government to “stop killing innocent civilians.”
Jendo described a scene of panic, with civilians fleeing into the bush. “As I am talking to you, I don’t know where my children ran,” she said. “The elderly are now dying, and our women are now delivering in the bushes.” She also alleged that army forces had looted local health facilities.
Other witnesses reported that attacks also occurred as early as 3 a.m. along the Nagero-Tambura road, forcing families to flee their homes.
However, a government official in Nagero County, who spoke on condition of anonymity, gave a conflicting account. The official confirmed the airstrike but said no casualties were reported.
“The plane was not identified. It came at night when people were sleeping and bombarded parts of Nagero County and the Tambura road. Fortunately, no one was injured or killed,” the official said, adding that two elderly residents narrowly escaped when their tukul, a traditional hut, was hit.
When contacted by Radio Tamazuj, Maj. Badista Kumbo, the acting police commissioner of Western Equatoria State, said police had not yet received an official report on the incident and were working to verify the details.
The attack was condemned by civil society activist Edmond Yakani, who called on the SSPDF and the opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO) to avoid military action and embrace dialogue.
The reported strike in Nagero follows an SSPDF airstrike in Jur River County of Western Bahr el Ghazal state on Tuesday.
Insecurity in Western Equatoria state has worsened this year. Tensions between the SSPDF and SPLA-IO, nominal partners in a 2018 peace agreement, have risen amid challenges in implementing the deal.
Spokespersons for the SSPDF and SPLA-IO could not immediately be reached for comment.