The South Sudanese refugee settlement El Meiram torched by gunmen (UNHCR / Hamid Jarma)

Three South Sudanese refugees were killed, and seven others wounded by gunmen in Sudan’s Western Kordofan over the weekend.

Marko Mayang, a community chief in Western Kordofan says a group of armed Arab youth attacked a South Sudanese refugee camp in Nesor, north of Nohud town on Saturday.

“Arab gunmen who called themselves Hamer Youth Union attacked the house of Mr. Aping and started shooting people. They killed three people and injured seven,” said Manyang.

The alleged group called Hamer youth union opened fire on the camp killing two men – Thiep Garang, Arun Kuat, and a two-year-old boy, Deng Athian.

The armed youth also reportedly made away with sixty livestock belonging to the refugees.

“That was on Saturday night around 9 PM, and when they were going away, they also entered another house and took over 60 livestock, and robbed people’s properties in their places.”

According to Manyang, the incident was not the first of its Kind.

He said the group had in recent weeks attacked South Sudanese settlement camps resulting in the death of 47 refugees.

“We buried 47 South Sudanese people only this month and in July, plus the three people of yesterday [Saturday] we buried 47.”

He called on the South Sudan government to intervene in the insecurity.

“There is no any official from South Sudan or Sudan to address our issues. As civilians who live in another country we need protection,” Manyange appealed.

Sudan is reportedly hosting 800,000 South Sudanese refugees who are mainly in the Darfur region.

The region has been experiencing a volatile security situation for almost two decades.