Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Authorities in Panyijiar County, Unity State, report that more than 40 traders are feared dead following an ambush on a commercial boat near Shambe Port in Lakes State on Friday.
According to Panyijiar County Commissioner Gabrial Bol Majiok, the vessel, carrying 42 traders from Tayar Port, came under attack shortly after docking at Shambe, a busy port town located in Yirol East County, Lakes State.
The traders were reportedly en route to Bor, Jonglei State, where they intended to sell dried fish and other goods.
Commissioner Gabrial explained that as the boat was undergoing clearance at a checkpoint in Shambe, unidentified gunmen opened fire on the vessel.
The full extent of the casualties remains uncertain, as many of the traders reportedly jumped into the river to escape the assault or fled into the dense bushland nearby.
Commissioner Gabrial, speaking to Eye Radio from Panyijiar County on Sunday, June 29, highlighted the difficulty in confirming precise numbers.
“Those people, they are moving, they just load a boat with a solid and a dry fish. They want to take those fish to the market in Bor. They reached the Shambe, which is where the incident occurred,” Commissioner Gabrial stated.
“Only one person escaped and ran to the other side of the river. He reported that there was an incident at 4 PM at Shambe. The people (traders) who were attacked on the boat ran away. Some of them ran into the river, and some ran to the other side of the river.”
“No one is sure about who is alive or who is dead. Because the incident was happening on the other side of the Shambe, where it’s very far from Panyijiar.”
However, when Eye Radio contacted the Lakes State Minister of Information, William Koji, he stated that his office was unaware of the incident.
“I got it just on social media, and the state government is not aware of such,” Minister Koji responded.
He added that youth in Lakes State are “not allowed to go for revenge, youth are not allowed to go for attack or revenge kill, or anything to do with killing people of Panyijiar.”
He concluded by saying, “The Lakes State is not aware of such incidents.”
For More News And Analysis About South-Sudan Follow Africa-Press
