A dyke along the bank of the Nile River serving as a fortress against flooding in Bor town. (-)

A national lawmaker from Twic East in Jonglei has said an attack on a remote Miny Island camp, which has no telecommunications network, has reportedly left dozens of people unaccounted for.

Deng Dau said the incident occurred on May 5 on Miny Island in Twic County, west of River Atem describing it as a vulnerable flood-affected area where civilians had been sheltering.

“On the 5th of May, an attack occurred in Miny Island. This is a very remote place with no communication network. The camp had around 50 people who were living there because of flooding and displacement. When the attack happened, people were scattered and the area is surrounded by water, so movement was very limited,” Deng Dau said.

According to him, about 50 people were present at the camp, with only a few survivors able to reach communication coverage days later to report the incident.

“Later, only a few survivors managed to reach a network area and reported that three people were injured and others were killed. But at this moment, more than 40 people are still not accounted for,” he said.

MP Dau said the attack had nothing to do with previous intercommunal conflict.

He alleged that SPLA-IO forces operating along river corridors were responsible for the attack, targeting isolated communities and looting civilian belongings.

“The attackers are believed to be armed groups moving along the river, targeting isolated islands and stealing property,” Deng Dau said.

MP Dau said the situation reflects worsening insecurity along waterways in Jonglei and neighbouring areas, including Greater Pibor.

The lawmaker called for urgent government intervention to prevent further attacks and secure riverine communities.

He urged the national government and the Ministry of Defense and Veterans Affairs to deploy rapid-response forces to stabilize the area and search for missing civilians.

“We are calling on the Minister of Defense to immediately deploy a mobile security team that can access these islands.These communities are cut off, and without intervention, more lives will be lost,” he added

He added that the Twic County authorities had already reported the matter to the state government following the incident.

The lawmaker warned that continued insecurity along the waterways risks further displacement of civilians already affected by flooding and conflict.