Ruweng’s Abiemnhom commissioner killed in early morning attack

2026-03-01 - 12:17

The Chief Administrator of Ruweng Administrative Area has confirmed that the Commissioner of Abiemnhom County, Paulino Wan, and the county’s Executive Director were killed during an early Sunday morning attack. Stephano Wieu De Mialek said the assault began at approximately 4:29 a.m. and involved heavy fighting that lasted between three and four hours. “Today, Sunday, at around 4:29 a.m., there was a heavy attack on Abiemnhom County,” Wieu De Mialek said. “The fighting lasted about three to four hours. Houses were burned, and a civilian was killed.” He added, “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the loss of our County Commissioner, Paulino Wan, and the Executive Director of Abiemnhom County.” According to the Chief Administrator, the attackers were armed youth allegedly from Mayom County, reportedly with elements linked to the SPLM-IO. The claims could not be independently verified, and authorities in Unity State had not responded to the allegations at the time of publication. Wieu De Mialek said several houses were burned during the fighting and confirmed that one civilian also lost his life. He condemned the attack and called for accountability. “We condemn this act and call for proper investigations and accountability,” he said. “We also urge the National Government to implement the state of emergency declared last year in Mayom.” The Chief Administrator described the incident as the second major attack targeting county officials in Abiemnhom, referring to a similar incident in April last year. “This is the second incident, following one that occurred in April last year,” he said. “Our forces are on the ground, and we are putting measures in place to ensure the safety of our people.” He further stated that security forces had repelled the attackers and remain deployed in the area to maintain stability and prevent further violence. Efforts to obtain comment from Unity State authorities were unsuccessful by press time.