ABIEMNOM, South Sudan — Armed youth from Mayom County in Unity State have attacked and seized control of Abiemnom town, the capital of Abiemnom County in the Ruweng Administrative Area, officials confirmed Wednesday.
Abiemnom County Commissioner Mario Deng Ayot, speaking from a forested area, told Sudans Post that the attackers launched a cattle and goat raid on Tuesday afternoon, killing four people and injuring six others.
“Yesterday, at around 1:00 PM, they attacked while cows were grazing outside Abiemnom. They took the cows, later returned for goats, and killed four people while wounding six others,” Deng said.
Despite prior discussions with Mayom County officials, the attackers returned Wednesday morning, storming the county headquarters at around 7:00 AM and seizing the town. Deng, who fled to Biemkat, a nearby neighborhood, reported that several houses had been set on fire, though he could not confirm the extent of the damage.
“I don’t know how many houses have been burned, but they set a few on fire. I am speaking to you from the forest. The attackers are many, and we cannot resist them. They remain in control of the town,” he said.
Deng said he had informed state authorities in Parieng and spoken with Ruweng Administrative Area Chief Administrator, who promised to contact Unity State’s governor regarding the escalating situation.
Efforts to reach Mayom County Commissioner were unsuccessful. A state government official in Bentiu told Sudans Post that the commissioner had turned off his phone and had not been reachable since Tuesday.
