By Yien Gattuor Mead
At least 14 people, including women and children, were killed and 23 others wounded in a deadly cattle raid on Payangai village in Budang Payam, Rubkona County, in Unity State.
According to Unity State authorities and local leaders, the incident occurred on Tuesday night.
The attack, which reportedly began around 10:00 p.m. and lasted for about an hour, also resulted in the theft of an unknown number of cattle.
Unity State Minister of Information and Telecommunications, Ms. Nyakenya Johannes Keah Ruai, confirmed the killings of 14 people and 23 others injured on the spot during the incident.
Nyakenya said that the suspected people are suspected to come from Parieng in the Ruweng administrative area, and this was confirmed by residents of Payangai village.
She said the 23 people are receiving treatment at Rubkona County and Bentiu hospital.
“During the incident, at least 40 cows were killed at cattle camps, together with the people? Keah said.
Ruai said that 14 people, one woman, one girl, and the other 12 are men.
Salva Nyok, the information minister of the Ruweng Administrative Area, said that “no attack was carried out by armed youth. What we know is that the armed youth from Unity State came and attacked our area last night. I dismissed allegations against our youth that they attacked Rubkona County of Unity State,” Salva refuted.
Local sources said the attackers approached from the directions of Aliny and Pariang counties in the neighboring Ruweng Administrative Area.
The incident comes amid growing security concerns in northern Unity, where communities face cattle raiding, intercommunal tensions, and cross-border insecurity linked to the conflict in neighboring Sudan.
This is the incident of Unity State and Ruweng Administrative Area since the appointment of two leaders.