South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
At least 40,000 people were displaced from Pigi County in Jonglei State to Panyikang County in Upper Nile State due to an incursion by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition In April 2025 are in need of humanitarian assistance.
Suliman Deng Thon, the Pigi County Commissioner, said that the displaced civilian population from Pigi in Jonglei State is now in dire need of humanitarian assistance in neighbouring Panyikang County. “We are appealing to national and international non-governmental organisations to provide assistance in terms of shelter and food to the vulnerable people who are staying under trees in Panyikang County. Many of our civilians have moved from Canan, Korfulus, and Wunlit areas of Pigi County to Kandaki, Panam, and Obali in Panyikang County in Upper Nile State,” said Thon in an interview on Saturday.
“There are no humanitarian organisations on the ground. People are staying under trees without shelter and food; the food situation is dire. We call for immediate intervention,” he said. Thon noted that the security situation in Pigi County of Jonglei State is relatively calm, adding that the incursion in April 2025 by forces of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) has instilled fear among the people. “Still, people are afraid to return home because of the tension resulting from the incursion of SPLA-IO. The food situation is really bad. We have also facilitated the movement of 102 civilians who fled from SPLA-IO-controlled areas in Nasir County of Upper Nile and Ayod County of Jonglei to Makakal in Upper Nile State,” he said.
“As a county government, we cannot reject people reporting to us. Also, as we speak, the major problem in Pigi is the lack of humanitarian assistance. Our people cannot return home due to incursions by SPLA-IO; they fear that they may be attacked,” he said.
