July 2, 2011 (BOR) - Murle killed 11 people in Anyuakland and planned another deadly attack on Anyuak people of Pochalla County. The first killing took place on 16/06/2011 when Murle ambushed group of women and men who were travelling escorting their daughter for her wedding that was organized to take place in Alale Payam of Akobo County, when their killers attacked them between Aparawanga boma of Alale Payam and Jor district of Gambella region of Ethiopia killing 4 men, 2 women and their 2 boys.

And the following day on June 17, 2011 another Murle group attacked Omilla Payam of Pochalla County killing 2 men and a woman and in the whole of last week they have been attacking Anyuak areas ending the week with the attack on Daktek boma of Burator Payam of Pochalla county on June 18, 2011 wounding a primary school teacher who was washing his clothes in Akobo river. According to Ajulo Ochalla an IDP who had left Daktek boma of Burator Payam and sought refuge in the County headquarters, Daktek and Tedo residents are living in fear and people are dying of hunger. There is very severe hunger in the area people are living on what they could scavenge from the forest. Food reported and observed to be eaten included wild greens, pods, and wild fruits in the Pochalla County. People are not longer going to collect wild fruit, even fishing activities and trading with Pinyudo district of Gambella has stopped.

Anonymous Presbyterian Pastor in Pochalla said, “My heart is broken because of what Southerners are doing against each others. This is a serious issue which actually needs to stop by all means possible. But who is there to stop this bad culture that has become like part of some communities in Sudan. Right now Murle have been attacking Anyuak areas there are many Murle around Otallo and Ajwara of Adongo Payam.”

In another development, an Evangelist who flight from Pochalla County landed in Pibor County on transit to Bor town on June 19, 2011 was informed by fellow Evangelists from Murle and others who opposed the plan attack on Anyuak people. The Evangelist was told to immediately inform Anyuak people of Pochalla County that Murle have left to attack either Otallo or Ajwara of Adongo Payam.

According Evangelist’s informers Murle warriors planned a deadly attack on the Anyuak people in meetings and mobilizations that took three days and on June 20, 2011 the plan was sealed with chanting and performing of war songs and dances throughout the night. We met in Koungkoung area and warriors who had rocked the Anyuakland in several separate incidents, mobilized their machineries and the militia fighters with experiences of roaming around and in the bushes between Nuer and Anyuak land, he asserted.

According to a reliable sources and individuals who participated in the meetings but opposed implementation of this deadly operation from Pibor County said, the Murle had also organized the witch doctors to bless and participate in the fight.

The invasion plan was seen as a fear by Murle of attacking Nuer and rather wants to take advantage of the Anyuak people being innocent and having no functioning militia groups. The Anyuaks were disarmed in 2009 and no single weapon remains in their villages while the fighting and the militia tribes neighboring them in Jonglei state remain hostile and armed heavily.

According Obang Omot county worker who reacted to the news of Murle plan attack said, the worse thing is that they (Murle) heard in May 2011 that the guns of the King's guards were taken by Nuer who attacked Murle in Burmath and pushed them through Jom, Kutngwach up to some parts of Akila Payam in Pochalla and the Nuer on their way back from pushing Murle toward Buma Payam of Pibor County looted farmers’ granaries along the river and when King's guards went to inspect what was happening with the farmers along the river, Nuer threatened them and took their guns.

Murle have been snatching children in Pochalla since the time it was under greater Pibor during President Jafar Nimeri regime and it became worst in 1970’s when Murle massacre Anyuak in Otigu, Ojwaa and 1980’s in Ajwara burning down the villages which led to declined in our population today. As we talked now Otigu, Ojwaa and Pou Okello on Pochalla - Pibor border were never built again, Mr. Obang narrated.

He went on further saying that, he wished an independent and strong juridical system could emerged in Southern Sudan trying Jonglei State government and individuals who have stakes in the current Lou Nuer and Murle militias who have been killing innocent people while State government is quite not even expressing a single word of condemnation.