Surge of Displacement in Western Equatoria
Community leaders say more than 30,000 people left their homes after military operations in Greater Mundri, Western Equatoria State, South Sudan. Families walked through dense forest to reach Lui town, seeking safety as gunfire echoed behind them.
Displaced Families Seek Safety in Lui
Sheltering inside churches and classrooms, mainly women, children and elderly survivors share scant food and sleep on bare floors. Local volunteers report that water points are overcrowded and clinics lack medicine, raising fears of malnutrition and disease outbreaks.
Residents Accuse Soldiers of Looting
Several residents accuse South Sudan People’s Defence Forces of looting cattle, furniture and grain, then torching tukuls in Doso, Lakamadi, Wandi and Kediba payams. “We hid in the bush for six days without food,” said Nyarango Wala Gune (Radio Tamazuj).
Commissioner Points to Rebel Violence
Mundri East commissioner John Henry rejects those allegations. He insists the army deployed only to shield civilians after clashes with SPLA-IO and NAS rebels on 30 September. “The soldiers came to restore order, not to attack,” he told reporters (Radio Tamazuj).
Aid Agencies Yet to Arrive
County officials estimate more than 30,000 people now rely on community solidarity. Relief and Rehabilitation Commission deputy chair Thomas Aringa Paul warns that no humanitarian organisation has arrived, and that data collection continues while vulnerable families remain hidden in surrounding bushland.
Local leaders urge NGOs to deliver food, water purification tablets, tarpaulins and mobile clinics before the looming rainy season cuts road access. With schools already hosting displaced households, education officials fear class disruptions if assistance fails to materialise promptly.