SPLA General Killed In Unclear Circumstances In Upper Nile Sources in Upper Nile State have said that about 16 people including an SPLA officer were killed in an area between Fashoda and Akoka Counties in Upper Nile State. 07 April 2015
By Ariik Atekdit JUBA, 4 April 2015 [Gurtong] - The incident happened on April 1st in Malakal town, with officials from both counties accusing each other of attacking either positions for reasons connected to a territorial dispute. When contacted the Commissioner of Fashoda County, Hon. Morris Adyang Papiti accused the armed youth from Akoka County being the first to attack an SPLA force within the Fashoda territory in Lul Payam. According to Morris Adyang 11 people sustained injuries and are undergoing medical attention in Kodok Hospital. "We have no problem with our brothers in the neighbouring Akoka County. It was on 1st April that they attacked the SPLA station in my County and they have killed 13 people including an SPLA Major Gen. James Bowogo, in an unclear circumstance." James Bowogo is said to be close to Gen. Johnson Olony Thubo, a former militia commander fighting against the government of South Sudan, until 2013 when the group responded positively to the general amnesty decreed by President Kiir to forces fighting against his regime. The forces loyal to Gen. Johnson Olony have been fighting alongside the government army against those of Dr. Riek Machar since the war began in the region in 2013. Fashoda County is dominantly settled by Shilluk ethnic group while Akoka County is inhabited by Dinka ethnic group of Dongjol in Upper Nile; both counties are situated north of Malakal town. This is not the first time the two communities are fighting over border issues. Sources in Akoka County have accused the forces from Shilluk land being the first to have attacked the local population of the Dinka land and that the said general was killed while sending in his forces to fight the people of Akoka. Efforts to reach the Akoka County commissioner, Hon. Mum Ador, by Gurtong were unsuccessful. "These people attacked us and they continue to tell the wrong version of the story that Akoka youth attacked them. This general with his forces crossed to the east within our territory to fight us out of our land we fought them back and he was among those who died," said one of the youth in the area who refused to be named. "The question is: was this general on an official SPLA mission attacking the civilians with his armed soldiers? Why should an SPLA Major general get involved in such a tribal land invasion? I just want to tell you that they attacked us and we fought them back. We thought the attackers were traditional Shilluk but we are now surprised to learn that a Major General was involved in a clash," he continued. In Malakal citizens ran to UNMISS camp in fear that the tension in the town would turn tribal but, the Information Minister, Peter Hoth has said that situation is calm in the town with people doing their usual businesses without fear. "The situation is clam. Some people run to UNMISS in fear but now they are back. They have returned to their homes. What I know is that forces have been deployed to the area of incident in the border areas.The government is working hard to calm down the situation," he added. Bookmark and Share Posted in: Home -- To post to this group, send email to southsudankob@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to southsudankob+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/d/forum/southsudankob View this message at https://groups.google.com/d/msg/southsudankob/topic-id/message-id For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to southsudankob+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to SouthSudanKob@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/SouthSudanKob. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/SouthSudanKob/CAJb14opWmzsk86GO7mZKt2GX_KNr83e%3Ddsa3KRk0EeVOfrWqzg%40mail.gmail.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
