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February 2, 2012 (JUBA/BENTUI) - On Thursday the Unity state minster for information and communication, Gideon Gatpan, said 15 people were killed in Mayiandit in a coordinated attack by Unity state forces who came on machine-gun mounted vehicles.
- Unity state minister of information, Gideon Gatpan Thaor, addressing the press about the attack on Mayiandit County. 3 Feb.2012 (ST)
Cattle-rustling friction between the states of Warrap, Unity and Lakes has increased with an attack on peace talks in Unity to discuss an incident in Warrap, which was allegedly carried out by Lakes authorities.
Tonj East county commissioner and others officials from Warrap State; and the Mapel county commissioner came to Mayiandit on Tuesday meet with the Mayiandit commissioner and a team from state capital, Bentiu, to discuss an attack in Warrap on 30 January.
According to South Sudan’s Interior Minister, “over 40” people were killed in the Warrap attack which was perpetrated by a Unity state militia “armed by the government of Khartoum”. North Sudan denies the allegation that they back rebel groups in South Sudan and counter that Juba helps it former allies in North Sudan. Juba also denies this.
Gatpan also described the suggestion by Warrap state governor, Nyadeng Malik, that the attack on Warrap, was carried out by a Unity state militia as propaganda.
The commissioner of Mayiandit county in Unity state, Gatdit Jeah Deng, described an attack in his state on Wednesday as an attempt to kill him by the Lake state government.
UN and non-governmental organisation brokered peace conference being held in Mayiandit were allegedly attacked by members of the Lakes state security services.
Mayiandit borders Mapel county to the south-west and Tonj East county of Warrap state in the west.
Deng claims nine police and ten civilians were killed and 20 seriously injured in the attack. He said that the attack was “war by the Lake State and Warrap State government”.
He explained that the attack took place despite the fact that Unity state authorities have been targeting cattle rustlers in their state to ensure that stolen cattle are returned to their rightful owners in Warrap and Unity.
He said eight cattle rustlers were captured in Mayiandit and 100 heads of cattle stolen from Warrap state during the 30 January attack.
Deputy governor of Unity state, William Dawut, told Sudan Tribune on Sunday that he intended file a court case against the commissioner of Mapel County. He said their forces captured a Toyota land cruiser mourned with heavy machine gun from Rumbek’s security forces.
Unity state authorities captured two cattle rustlers from Warrap state during the fighting, the Unity State police commissioner Major General Maduk Nyiong said during an emergency of council of ministers held in Bentiu on Thursday.
In September 2011 Warrap state rustlers allegedly killed around 46 people and stole more that 1,000 heads of cattle in Mayiandit.
A sticking point of the peace talks was Warrap’s demands for eight captives involved in the attack on their state, to travel to Warrap. Unity refused to allow the culprits leave the state.
Deng said Unity had handed over the cattle without incident but that the culprits should be judged in his state.
Deng said two of his bodyguards and a bodyguard from the Unity State Police Commissioner were killed, and member of staff from the UN Mission in South Sudan were seriously injured in the attack.
The Lakes state minister of local government and law enforcement, Mabor Mayen Wol, travelled to Rumbek North county in Lakes state to hold talks with the commissioner of Rumbek North county to discuss the clashes which occurred in Mayendit county of Unity state on Wednesday.
A Lakes state policeman who sustained injuries in this incident, Augustino Mayok, told Sudan Tribune that his team were escorting their commissioner to the meeting when they were ambushed “by those police and their military element”. Mayok said their sergeant, Marial Magany, was killed instantly.
The commissioner of Rumbek North county, Isaac Mayek Noah, said that he and the commissioners of Tonj East and Tonj north were called by the Mayendit commissioner to attend a peace meeting in his county. He said that meeting was to be attended by Government of South Sudan’s Minister of Interior Affairs. They were told to attend despite the minster’s last-minute cancellation.
(ST)
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