Murle Armed Men From South Sudan Kill One, Abduct Three Children in Cross Border Raid: Gambella State Official

Gambella state Press Secretariat, Ugetu Ading (Picture: Regional Communication bureau)

Addis Abeba — The Gambella Region Press Secretariat, said^[1] that armed men from the Murle community in South Sudan have crossed the border and attacked Dima refugee camp and Gog woreda in the Gambella Region, killing one person and injuring two others. Three children were also abducted during the cross border raid.

The Head of the Region's Press Secretariat, Ugetu Ading, said the armed men have been attacking the region from time to time as its border with South Sudan is wide and open.

According to the secretariat, the Murle armed men crossed the border on February 09 and abducted three children from a refugee camp in Dima woreda, injuring two people. He added that said that one person was killed through an attack opened on a motorcycle traveling from Pugnido town to Tedo Kebele in Gog woreda. Meanwhile, he further indicated that a driver and his assistant were killed on a recent attack by unidentified assailants on a truck traveling from Gambella city to Nuer zone.

Ugetu pledged intensive work was being carried out by the regional special forces and militias to go after the assailants and to take the necessary action and thereby called on the public to cooperate with the security forces. He said the region is currently using its special forces and militias to maintain peace and security in the affected areas and urged the community to remain vigilant as Murle militants could sneak in different places.

The press secretariat also recalled that the Murle militants on a recently infiltrated in to the Nuer zone and Anuwa zones, abducting four children and looting cattle, killing 11 people.

Last month, in a similar circumstance^[2], the Gambella region police commission stated that gunmen from South Sudan's Murle tribe crossed borders and launched an attack in Bakankan Kebele located in Akobo woreda of the Nuer zone the region leaving eight people dead and five others injured.

References

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2. ^{^} in a similar circumstance (addisstandard.com)