NAIROBI, March 2 (Reuters) – The death toll from an attack by a group of unidentified men in a town in South Sudan’s Ruweng Administrative Area on Sunday has risen to 169 people from an earlier estimate of 122, the area’s information minister said on Monday.
* Violence in the country has increased in recent months aspolitical infighting threatens a fragile 2018 peace deal. * The latest attack took place in Abiemnhom in Ruweng, whenyouth from Mayom County in neighbouring Unity State stormed thetown and fought for more than three hours, Information MinisterJames Monyluak Majok said. * Ninety of those killed are believed to be civilians, and79 government soldiers. The death toll could rise further,Monyluak added. * “We think this number may rise because when the attackshappened many people ran to the bush, and we still have somepeople who are missing,” Monyluak told Reuters. * He added the government did not know the intention behindthe attack. * The information minister of Unity State, Nyakenya JohannesKeah, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. * The violence highlights concerns, including from theUnited Nations, of deepening instability since the arrest offormer First Vice President Riek Machar a year ago. * President Salva Kiir signed a peace agreement with Macharin 2018 to end five years of civil war that left an estimated400,000 dead. * But implementation of the deal has been slow and theopposing forces have clashed frequently over disagreements abouthow to share power.
(Writing by George Obulutsa and Vincent Mumo Nzilani; Editing by Ammu Kannampilly, Nivedita Bhattacharjee and Barbara Lewis)
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