15/11/2025
Condemnation Letter on the Massacre of Civilian Population of Adong Payam, Baliet County-Upper Nile State
On Friday 14th/November/2025 in the early morning hours at around 5:00Am, a tragic and deeply disturbing incident occurred in which a group of white army loyal to SPLM-IO from Nuer of Ulang and Nasir counties launched an armed attack against innocent civilians of Ngok Lual Yak community in Adong payam of Baliet county, which is a crime under Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Article 7 talks about Crimes Against Humanity which clearly states in Article 7(1) for the purpose of this Statutes, "Crimes against humanity means any of the following acts when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attacks directed against any civilian population with the knowledge of the attack, sub article 1(A) Murder, (B) extermination, (C) enslavement, (D) deportation or forcible transfer of population, (E) imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty in violation of fundamental of international law etc." This assault resulted in the killing of more than sixty six (66) innocent lives including women, children, and elderly, and more than sixty four (64) innocent civilians with critical injuries and unknown number of missing individuals, looting of a large number of cattles that is reaching up to five thousand three hundred herds (5,300). This is an act of violence that bears no resemblance to any moral, human, or community values.
a fully constituted crime, a blatant assault on lives and property, and a grave violation of the long-standing customs and traditions that govern relations among local communities. It is also a serious breach of fundamental ethical and humanitarian principles.
The targeting of women and children is a red line an unforgivable act that cannot be justified under any circumstances or under any law. The looting of livelihood properties such as livestock reveals the cowardly behaviours, the destructive nature of this attack, whose only outcome is the destabilization of security in Upper Nile state and the tearing of the social fabric among communities.
Therefore, we affirm that these criminal acts will not pass without accountability, and we call on the relevant authorities to take immediate action in the strongest
terms possible, we demand the following from the National government and the government of Upper Nile State:
1. Immediate and thorough investigation into the massacre in Adong Payam.
2. Identification and arrest of all perpetrators of the white Army (SPLM IO), who planned, supported, or executed the attack.
3. Public transparency on the progress of the investigation to ensure trust and accountability. We also call upon the UN agencies, international committee of the Red Cross to visit Adong payam of Baliet county Upper Nile state for a fact finding mission.
4. Rapid deployment of law enforcement agencies of the Republic of South Sudan to protect civilians in Baliet county and the surrounding areas.
5. Swift service of justice through the appropriate legal mechanisms to ensure such atrocities never recur.
6. We also strongly demand that the Government of South Sudan, urgently grants the four counties of the eastern Nuer (Ulang and Nasir) in Upper Nile their own Administrative area, while allowing the current Upper Nile state to remain under the administration of the four Jing padang counties and the four Shilluk counties as a necessary measure to prevent the recurring cycles of violence that have repeatedly devastated innocent civilians in the region. Historically, Eastern Nuer militias, under different names, committed acts of violence as demonstrated by the atrocities on Ngok Lual Yak in the years of 1980s, 1991-1992, 2013-2018 and 2025. Administrative area for the Eastern Nuer, will allow the sons of this area to address the issues of law and order affecting them.
We, the Ngok Lual Yak Youth Association in Juba stand firmly with the people of Adong Payam, Baliet County of Upper Nile State in this darkest moment. We reaffirm our commitment to peace, justice, and the protection of all innocent civilians and vulnerable groups.
May the souls of the victims rest in eternal peace, May the ones affected find healings, and May the Almighty God bless this peace loving community of Ngok Lual Yak.
Office the Ngok Lual Yak Youth Association-Juba.
NGOK LUAL YAK YOUTH'S VOICE.
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