Juba, 18 December 2022; Heavy communal fighting between the youth of Central Equatoria state and Dinka Bor cattle herders believed to be backed by a section of senior SSPDF hailing from Jonglei state.  

The latest report from Mangala indicates that at least seven villages were attacked and several grass thatch houses were torched by Dinka Bor cattle herders backed by SSPDF deployed by former Defense Minister Kuol Manyang, and vice President Rebecca Nya Deng, both hail from Jonglei state.  

The affected villages are Geri, Gabur, Mangkaro, Jokoki, Tukoro, Logo, and Tibari, in Mangala Central Equatoria state. According to eyewitnesses who spoke to this publication they said at least 8 people were killed by Dinka Bor cattle herders since Wednesday this week.  

The youth in Mangala accused both Vice President Nya Deng and Gen Kuol Manyang of supplying arms to the cattle herders, the duo was in Mangala last week, they held a secret meeting with the cattle herders and deployed heavy presence of SSPDF to guide the cows since then the soldiers have been backing the cattle herders in the ongoing fighting.   

Unverified reports indicate that a senior general of SSPDF was seriously wounded on Saturday and has been airlifted to Juba for better medical management.  

This is not the first madam Nya Deng has been accused of fueling and supplying the cattle keepers with arms, she had previously been accused of camping in Nimule for five days, immediately after she left Nimule, the Dinka Bor cattle herders launched an attack on villages in Mugali killing several unarmed civilians including a health worker were brutal been killed.  

Given the severity of the fighting in Mangala Central Equatoria state, this publication cannot independently verify how many people were killed from both sides, however, SSLN can vehemently verify the Bari and Mundari youth vow to defend their land and vulnerable elderly people from barbaric attack by Dinka Bor been backed by SSPDF from the same ethnic group. 

SSLN