Unity State condemns Abiemnhom attack, denies involvement of Mayom youth

2026-03-02 - 13:27

BENTIU, Unity State (Eye Radio) – The Unity State Government has issued a formal condemnation following the loss of life in Abiemnhom County, clarifying that criminal elements—not the youth of Mayom County—carried out the assault. State Minister of Information and Communications, Nyakenya Johannes Keah, confirmed to Eye Radio that authorities had anticipated the violence. According to the Minister, both Unity State and the Ruweng Administrative Area held prior knowledge of the planned movement by armed groups. In an effort to prevent the escalation, the Governor of Unity State reportedly initiated a conference call with the Chief Administrator of Ruweng, the Commissioner of Mayom, and the Commissioner of Abiemnhom. Following this dialogue, the governor instructed General Puljang to dispatch troops to Abiemnhom. Despite these measures, the Minister confirmed that the intervention did not prevent the deaths of the County Commissioner, the Executive Director, and others. “What happened before yesterday is very unfortunate,” Minister Keah stated. “It is very undesirable and something heartbreaking for all of us. The thing is, the issue before it happened was foreseen. It was seen that both our governments were aware that this thing was going to take place, that there were people that wanted to come and attack.” Minister Keah detailed the specific steps taken by the leadership: “The governor of Unity States made a conference call of four people. On that call, there were the chief administrator of Ruweng, the governor of the United States, the commissioner of Mayon, and the commissioner of Awarping.” “The day before the incident, they agreed that a force would be sent. And after the call conference, definitely, General Puljang was instructed by the governor of Unity States to dispatch a force to Abiemnom, you know, and then the fight took place.” “Unfortunately, the commissioner, executive director and others also lost their lives. And it is not like the government of Unity States is supporting it. We don’t support that. We don’t condone any violence.” The Unity State Government maintains that the attackers were not local youth from Mayom, but rather individuals operating from the bush alongside opposition forces. Minister Keah revealed that the state government itself suffered casualties during the attempt to maintain order, with 13 soldiers confirmed dead. “These people who went there are not even youth from Mayom,” Keah explained. “These are criminals who are in the bushes together with the opposition that are there. They regrouped, and then they went there. We truly don’t know. And that is why we are still investigating.” The Governor of Unity State has travelled to the area to conduct a personal assessment of the situation. The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to identifying those responsible for the breach of security. “Even our governor, the governor of Unity States, has gone there now. He wants to go and do the assessment himself. Of course, we are investigating. And whoever we find is the person we are going to hold accountable.'” “We did our part from Unity States. And in fact, we have lost 13 soldiers. About 13 soldiers. 13 soldiers. And what does that mean? It means that, you know, we are very serious. We don’t want this thing to happen. And we truly don’t support it at all. This is actually an issue that is affecting all of us, the greater unity as a whole.” As investigations continue, Unity State authorities emphasize that the violence impacts the stability of the entire region.