At least 169 people have been killed and buried in a mass grave in South Sudan, two local officials told AFP Monday, the latest incident as the country sees a dramatic increase in violence.
The desperately poor country has seen a surge in violence throughout the nation, as forces loosely allied to either the opposition or government troops under President Salva Kiir clash.
Thousands have been displaced as a result.
“A total of 169 bodies have been laid to rest in a mass grave,” Elizabeth Achol, the minister of health in northern Ruweng Administrative Area, told AFP by telephone.
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The local information minister, James Monyluak, gave the same toll following the early Sunday morning attack but also warned “the figure may increase further if more bodies are discovered”. He told AFP by phone that the dead included women, children and elderly people.
Around 50 others were wounded and transferred to medical facilities in Abyei and Warrap State for treatment, Monyluak said.Related News
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A diplomatic source told AFP the initial information over the Abiemnom incident indicated the attack was conducted by a Nuer group, potentially in revenge for the killing of some traders.
No group has claimed responsibility for the incident.
Monyluak said many residents had fled to nearby villages, while others had sought protection at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) compound in the county.
“The security situation has since stabilised, with government security forces deployed and now in control of the area,” he added.
A UNMISS spokesperson said following the violence, peacekeepers were “temporarily sheltering some 1,000 civilians within our base in the area and providing emergency medical care to the injured”.