Attack in South Sudan's North Claims 178 Lives
The death toll from an attack in South Sudan on Sunday has risen to 178, according to a local official who spoke to the BBC. The assault was carried out by a group of unidentified men in the northern region of the country.
James Monyluak Mijok, Information Minister for the Ruweng Administrative Area, described the attackers as dozens of armed youth. He alleged that they originated from the neighbouring Unity state and were connected to the Sudan People's Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO).
The SPLA-IO has denied any involvement in the attack and accused the authorities of politicising the violence.
The United Nations has repeatedly warned that South Sudan is at risk of descending back into full-scale civil war.
Medical aid organizations have characterized the scale of casualties as alarming, even for a region that has experienced repeated outbreaks of violence.
An anonymous diplomatic source quoted by the AFP news agency on Monday estimated the death toll at 70 but indicated it could rise.
"The dead include 90 children, women and elderly people, as well as 79 members of regional forces, including police,"Mijok said, adding that many victims had been buried in a mass grave.
He also reported that 73 individuals remain hospitalized, many of whom were transferred to the neighbouring Abyei Administrative Area for medical treatment.
Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) described the situation in Abyei as extremely challenging.
"It was really difficult to manage the mass casualty situation, but many MSF and Ministry of Health staff came on their day off and from other facilities to support,"Abraham Deng Lual Wek, an MSF nurse supervisor, told the BBC on Tuesday.
"For the surgical team, it was a challenge to manage all of the emergency cases between the two operating theatres,"he added.
"Our triage area, emergency room and wards were full of patients, so we expanded capacity by using tents and a meeting space, which also filled quickly."
Mijok informed the BBC that the attackers entered Abiemnom county in Ruweng before dawn on Sunday, around 04:30 local time (02:30 GMT), catching residents by surprise while they were still asleep.
"The government forces on the ground were outnumbered... The assailants set fire to homes and markets during fighting that lasted between three and four hours."Several senior local officials, including the county commissioner and executive director, were killed.
Mijok stated that government forces have since expelled the attackers and that authorities now have full control of the area.
He further alleged that officials in Unity state "must have had knowledge" of the plan to target Ruweng. Unity state authorities have not responded to this accusation. The motive behind the attack remains unclear.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (Unmiss) reported that approximately 1,000 civilians sought protection near its base in the affected area. The mission expressed alarm at the surge in violence over the past 48 hours.
"Such violence places civilians at grave risk and must stop immediately,"said Anita Kiki Gbeho, officer in charge of Unmiss.
"The mission has enhanced its protective posture and is working with the government of South Sudan to support urgent efforts to restore calm and safeguard affected communities,"she added.
Peacekeepers are providing emergency medical care to at least 23 people wounded in the clashes. The mission has called on all parties to cease hostilities immediately and engage in dialogue.
A similar incident in Abiemnom county last year resulted in more than 42 civilian deaths.
Following clashes in another part of the country, Jonglei state, MSF reported that 26 of its staff members are missing after weeks of escalating violence between government and opposition forces.
The charity has suspended medical services in two areas of Jonglei state—Lankien and Pieri.
MSF's facility in Lankien was struck by a government air strike on 3 February.
"Many of our staff were forced to flee the violence alongside their families. Several are now displaced, sheltering in remote areas with little access to food, water or basic services,"the organization stated.
South Sudan, the world's youngest country, has faced civil war, poverty, and corruption since its independence in 2011.
The United Nations has warned that an "all-out civil war" could return as a power-sharing agreement reached in 2018 between President Salva Kiir and his long-time rival, Riek Machar, has deteriorated over the past year.
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