By Baraka John
Members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) allegedly attacked Makpandu Refugee Settlement in Yambio early Wednesday morning, killing one person, injuring another, and setting homes and shops on fire.
The Commissioner of Yambio County, Angelo Bakote, said he was alerted to the incident shortly after it began.
According to Bakote, the attack started at around 6:00 a.m. when the Payam Administrator in Makpandu informed him that armed fighters had entered the settlement.
“They came in the morning and started attacking and looting. They attacked the army base and the police station and began burning houses and shops. One person was shot dead,” Bakote said.
He explained that the assailants first engaged security forces stationed in the area before carrying out acts of looting and arson. Security forces later responded and received reinforcements, including mobile units, which were deployed to pursue the attackers.
The Police Commissioner of Western Equatoria State, Maj. Gen. Simon Atet, also confirmed the attack, saying it occurred at approximately 6:20 a.m.
“The SPLA-IO attacked SSPDF bases, including the police, at around 6:30 a.m. They burned down the SSPDF garrison and the Wildlife unit base and looted shops in the area. But in the end, we repulsed them,” Atet said.
Makpandu Refugee Settlement, located about 40 kilometers from Yambio town in Western Equatoria State, hosts thousands of refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Sudan.