By Matik Kueth
The South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) has declined to comment on recent reports of airstrikes in Fangak County, Jonglei State, and Mayom County in Unity State.
In a brief statement released Wednesday, SSPDF spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang stated that the military headquarters has “no comments to make” at this time regarding the alleged aerial attacks.
“This brief statement serves to inform all media agencies that, as of now, the SSPDF command has no comments to make on reported strategic bombing raids in Fangak and Mayom Counties of Jonglei and Unity States, respectively,” Maj. Gen. Koang said.
His statement comes amid reports that government forces carried out an airstrike in Mayom County on Tuesday evening around 5 p.m., following a deadly cattle raid. According to local sources, armed youth from Gogrial East in Warrap State allegedly attacked a cattle camp in Gokper, killing 14 people, including four girls, and injuring 12 others.
In retaliation, an aerial bombardment reportedly struck Kueryiek Payam in Mayom, killing two civilians and injuring several others. The exact number of wounded remains unconfirmed.
Local resident Machar Mathoat said that the injured were being transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. He also noted that no further airstrikes occurred on Wednesday.
“Yesterday, an airplane dropped bombs on Rupnyegai forest in Kueryiek. The bombardment killed two people and injured several others. The only good thing was that there had been no bombing today,” he said.
A-photo-of-an-SSPDF-warplane-bombarding-Fangak-County-Courtesy
Another resident, Riek Thiwey, described the atmosphere in the area as tense and fearful. He criticized the government for targeting civilians, arguing that the root issue intercommunal cattle raids has existed for decades and should not justify the use of airpower against villages.
“What the government is doing is wrong because the innocent people they are bombing today have nothing to do with what the armed youth did in Warrap State,” Thiwey said. “Cattle raiding has been ongoing for generations, yet we’ve never seen such bombings in other regions where it also happens. Why Mayom” He stated.