22/07/2024
Akobo 22 July 2024
Letter Condemnation on series of Incidences in Akobo County including the killing of 5 students between Kankan and Gangrial road in Ethiopia Border
Yesterday, 21st July 2024, Five University Students coming to Akobo County for vacation including two students from Wanding Payam of Nasir County were killed by suspected Anyuak hoodlums in Kankan-Gangrial Wareda in Ethiopia territory. With current unavailability of transport means in Matar, the students decided to reach homeby all means after schools break, they moved footing before this tragic incident happened.
This is not the first time Lou Nuer Students were targeted on the road from schools, in this July 2022, eleven students were killed in Puotpuotni by Murle Youth that led to the revenge on Greater Pibor Administrative Area in March 2023, these kind of incidents that target students coming for vacation should stop as we are fighting to stop negative war among our communities.
In another incident, Today, 22 July 2024, we surprised with the sound of gunshots at the Akobo Market that left one person dead and 5 others wounded. The incident happened when Cietot brought a patient to Akobo Hospital, before reaching the hospital they were stop by Security force because CieMajok who had prolonged conflict with Cietot were presumed to be sitting at hospital vicinity, Cietot accepted to go back to their village in Mer, as they were returning, they refused to used safest road, intentionally opened fired at the market, killed one person and wounded five others. However, the security force responded by dispersing the conflicting sides.
I would like to ask neighboring community like Anyuak to differentiate refugees and the host community, the indiscriminate killing of refugee and students is unaccepted, South Sudanese are there as refugee, they should be given safest passage as they are not involved in internal conflict among the Ethiopia ethnic groups.
I condemned the two incidents in Strongest term possible
Please accept my sincere condolence as we share sorrow and pain for the untimely death of our students and the family of Nyuon Tot,
God gives and God takes, may the Lord Almighty take their souls in eternal life.
Puok Nyang Tutjiek
Commissioner
Akobo County