By Matik Kueth
At least 41 traders have gone missing after an armed group reportedly opened fire on a boat along the River Nile at Wangthok checkpoint in Yirol East County, Lakes State, last Friday.
The attack, believed to have been carried out by an unknown armed group from the Yirol East area, occurred as the traders were traveling from Panyijiar County in Unity State to Juba.
The victims, who were 42 in number, were aboard a boat when it came under fire at approximately 4:00 PM on June 27, 2025.
Speaking to King Media on Monday, Gatwech Biphal, Unity State’s Information Minister, confirmed the disappearance of the 41 traders following the incident.
He stated that only one person is believed to have survived, with the survivor reportedly jumping into the river during the ambush and swimming to safety at Taiyar Port in Panyijiar County.
“On the 27th of June, 2025, at 4 p.m., a certain boat set for Juba. The first point it departed From there, it is in a certain area called Kolir. Then it went through the night and reached a certain place called Wangthok. Wangthok is a checkpoint for Shambek, for the left Shambek. Then from there, armed men opened fire to the traders. Within that boat, there were 42 people in the boat. Only one person survived. But others are still missing. We cannot confirm whether they are dead or still alive,” Gatwech stated.
Minister Biphal urged the Lakes State government to act swiftly in identifying and apprehending the attackers.
“This random killing of people is not fair, I call on the government of Lake state to search and apprehend those people, bring them to justice, otherwise we don’t want such a thing to happen shortly. It is unlawful,” he appealed.
He added, “We need to embrace peace. We need to love each other. There is no way for people to discriminate themselves.”
Paul Chadit, Lakes State’s Information Minister, acknowledged the incident but ruled out that he could not confirm it due to ongoing tensions between Panyijiar County and Yirol East County.
“We were not aware, but we have already seen those allegations circulating online, but we have not verified any of them. Our border with Panyijiar, now as Yirol East and Panyijiar County of Unity State, is very hostile, with the attack on our people by the SPLA-IO militias in that area. So, we cannot confirm who, and we cannot think of any point who’s in charge, but we know the border is compromised now,” he stressed.
The motive behind the ambush remains unclear. However, the incident occurs amid rising tensions between communities in Lakes State and Unity State’s Panyijiar County.
The tensions have been fueled by ongoing cattle raiding incidents attributed to armed youth from Panyijiar.
The situation is reportedly worsening, with allegations surfacing of aerial bombardments by the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF), allegedly with support from Ugandan forces.
This tragic ambush highlights the increasingly fragile security situation along South Sudan’s river transport corridors and underscores the urgent need for greater protection of civilians and traders navigating inter-state routes.