Armed youth walk a village in South Sudan’s Pibor region. Photo: AFP

Authorities of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area have reported an outbreak of inter-communal violence in Lanam village on December 24.

The Deputy Chief Administrator of Pibor said gunmen, suspected to have come from the neighboring Jonglei State attacked the area on Saturday, displacing an unspecified number of people.

John Abulla says the armed attackers are allegedly stationed in Lanam up to the moment.

“I learned that on the day before yesterday (Saturday), youth from Greater Jonglei come and attacked one of the areas in Lanam,” said Abulla.

“Up to now, I have no any detail about the casualties during that attack, but the issue is, they confirmed that the Lanam area is under attack. Lou Nuer’s youth are still there in that area of Lanam.”

The violence comes barely a week after the United Nations Mission in South Sudan warned of communal attacks in the greater Jonglei region.

This follows reports of mobilization and preparation for an attack by armed youth and militia groups from the two areas.

However, the number of casualties, injuries, and displacements is yet to be confirmed.

Abulla told Eye Radio this morning that they are advising their youth to be patient while waiting for the response from the Jonglei State government.

Abula accuses Jonglei youth of perpetrating violence.

“Well, we are the ones being attacked by the youth from greater Jonglei. So, we are advising and telling our youth to be patient and see what the government of Jonglei will do.”

For his part, Taban John Mark, the Acting Chief Whip at the council of states calls on the representatives of Jonglei state in the parliament and council of states to talk to tell their youth to withdraw from Greater Pibor.

“We don’t want conflict, we want to say enough for the conflicts in 2022,” he said.

“We want to receive the new year in peace and I urge the representatives in the parliament and those in the council of states to talk to their youth to go back. We don’t want conflict.”

Jonglei State authorities are yet to comment on the matter.