In South Sudan, a violent clash erupted between rival cattle herder groups, resulting in 39 fatalities and numerous injuries, as reported by officials to AFP on Friday.
The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, led to 19 deaths among herders from northwest Warrap, according to William Wol Mayom Bol, the state’s information minister.
Additionally, 17 individuals sustained injuries during the violence.
Minister Bol stated, “When we learned of the attack, the government of Warrap state dispatched two committees” to the area with the aim of easing tensions and safeguarding civilians.
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In the neighboring Lake State, police spokesman Major Elijah Mabor Makuac reported a casualty toll of “20 people killed, 36 wounded, and one person still missing.” Makuac noted that these clashes have become an annual occurrence, with rival cattle-herding communities from the two states vying for resources during the dry season.
Minister Bol, in a Thursday statement, mentioned that although the violence has de-escalated, minor clashes are still reported in inaccessible swampy areas. He called for “peaceful co-existence and cooperation between the two sisterly states.”
South Sudan, despite its significant oil reserves, remains one of the world’s poorest countries, grappling with prolonged conflicts, natural disasters, hunger, economic crises, and communal strife.
Last weekend, another confrontation in a disputed region claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan resulted in 54 casualties, including two United Nations peacekeepers.
