The authorities in South Sudan have said at least 169 people, including senior officials, were killed on Sunday when a group of unidentified armed men launched an assault on an area in the North of the country.
The dead include; 90 children, women and elderly people, as well as 79 members of Regional Forces, including Police.
Describing the attack as carried out by dozens of armed youth, Ruweng Administrative Area’s Information Minister, James Monyluak Mijok alleged that they came from neighbouring Unity State and were linked to the Sudan People’s Liberation Army In Opposition (SPLA-IO).
The SPLA-IO has denied any involvement in the attack, accusing the Unity State authorities of politicising the violence.
The UN has repeatedly warned that the country is at risk of sliding back into full-scale civil war.
Officials said Fifty others were wounded and the majority of them had been taken to the neighbouring Abyei Administrative Area, where they were being treated.
An official told the BBC that the attackers entered Abiemnom county in Ruweng before dawn on Sunday, at around 04:30 local time (02:30 GMT), when people were still sleeping and “surprised them”.
He said 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 were killed including the County Commissioner and Executive Director.
He said government forces had since driven the attackers out and that authorities were now in full control.
He also alleged that officials in Unity State “must have had knowledge” of the plan to target on Ruweng. The Unity State authorities have not responded to this accusation.
It is not clear what may have triggered the attack.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said about 1,000 civilians began seeking protection near its base in the affected area. The mission said it was alarmed by the surge in violence in the region over the past 48 hours.
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.
Local reports and the AFP News agency say victims of the attack were buried in a mass grave on Sunday due to the high number of casualties and ongoing security concerns.
(Editor: Ken Eseni)
