Dawn Raid Shatters Morning Calm
Residents of Aduong Payam awoke at 5:30 a.m. on 14 November to gunfire erupting from every compass point, authorities report.
Commissioner Joseph Deng says armed men, allegedly from neighboring Ulang County, stormed homes, fired indiscriminately and scattered livestock.
Eyewitness Reports and Rising Casualties
Initial tallies quoted 57 fatalities, yet updated counts now place the death toll at 66, including two community chiefs, children and elders.
Local clinics struggled to stabilise 65 wounded people; 29 are critical and have been airlifted to Malakal for surgery, Deng confirms.
Humanitarian Fallout and Displacement
Aid agencies shuttled between flooded dirt roads and bushland to locate survivors, while volunteers dug hurried graves under sporadic gunfire.
More than 5,000 cattle were reportedly driven away, depriving displaced families of both subsistence and currency in an already fragile economy.
Leadership Appeals for Calm and Accountability
Church leaders in Malakal appealed on local radio for an immediate cease-fire and urged traditional courts to mediate rather than retaliate.
State authorities promise an impartial investigation, yet no official statement has emerged from Ulang, and telephone lines remain silent.
Implications for Upper Nile Peace Efforts
Security analysts warn that tit-for-tat cattle raids risk spilling across Upper Nile’s riverine frontiers, complicating national peace initiatives.
Juba’s Ministry of Interior says reinforcing community policing and disarmament drives could deter future violence, but sustained funding is essential.
For now, Baliet mourns its dead while waiting for justice and the safe return of its stolen herds.