Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Spokesperson of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) has denied allegations by Upper Nile State that armed men from its territory carried out an attack in Ulang County that killed 21 people on Tuesday.
The incident, which occurred on April 21, resulted in the deaths of 21 people. While the Governor of Upper Nile State, Jacob Dollar Ruot, attributed the violence to elements from Pibor, GPAA officials have dismissed the claim.
GPAA Information Minister Jacob Werchum stated on Thursday that it is a physical impossibility for youth from Pibor to reach Ulang. He cited the distance and the presence of rivers between the two regions as barriers to such movement.
Minister Werchum noted that the two areas do not share a border and that numerous counties and villages lie between them.
The Minister urged the Upper Nile State government to conduct an internal investigation to identify the perpetrators. He suggested that armed groups or rebels operating within Upper Nile State could be responsible for the assault.
“The governor should have investigated to see which people did the attack because there are rebels in Upper Nile, and there are communities who are armed,” Werchum stated. “Instead of finger-pointing us simply because of reports that our people steal cattle and are attacking other states.”
The GPAA administration warned that the dissemination of unverified reports regarding specific communities reinforces stereotypes and increases ethnic tensions.
The Minister maintained that there is no history of youth from the GPAA conducting cattle raids or attacks within Upper Nile State. He emphasized the need for evidence-based reporting to maintain regional stability.
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