Our youth did not attack cattle camps in Magwi County, says Pibor official

By Simon Deng

The Minister of Information and Communication in Greater Pibor Administrative Area, Jacob Werchum Juok, has dismissed claims that armed youth from the area were behind the attacks on cattle camps which left nearly 41 people killed last week in Magwi County, Eastern Equatoria State.

 “The government of Greater Pibor Administrative Area would like to emphatically denounce the blatant accusations by the Jonglei State authorities, that our youths were involved in the recent fatal attack on cattle camps at Aru Junction, Eastern Equatoria State,” said Juok in statement on Friday.

 “We categorically deny any involvement of our youths in such actions, and demand the government of Jonglei State conduct an independent investigation into this and make the outcome public,” he added.

Juok urged the government to take the appropriate measures against people inciting violence in the region, adding that Pibor will not join any group to attack sites within the country.

 “We view this as unfounded allegation that lacks the justification to prove its entirety. Based on this, the government of greater Pibor would conduct an investigation to determine whether our youths indeed crossed the border and participated in the attack,” he said.

On February 4, 2025, Angok Gordon Kuol, Chairperson of Bor community claimed that members of his community were attacked by a combined force comprising Murle youth, Equatoria Protection Army mobilized by the government of Eastern Equatoria State and National Salvation Front (NAS) rebels.