The regional government in South Sudan’s northern Warrap state says cattle raids have left at least 72 people dead. The state authorities described the attack, which took place on Monday, as a “co-ordinated attack” involving two communities in Tonj North county. An unspecified number of cattle were seized and homes were set alight.
Cattle at the centre of a deadly cycle of revenge
Violence of this kind is often tied to revenge attacks, because cattle are a major source of wealth and status for many communities. Young men also need cattle to pay dowries when they marry, which gives the animals added importance.
Disputes over territory are also widespread across the country, which is preparing for its first election since gaining independence in 2011. That vote has been delayed by a brutal civil war.
The clashes happened near the boundary between Warrap and Unity states, in the Akop Payam area. Members of the Lou Ariik community were said to have attacked people from the Apuk Padoch community.
William Wol Mayom Bol, Warrap’s information minister, said the latest bloodshed followed deadly violence the previous Friday, which claimed eight lives.
Governor calls for aid and pursuit of attackers
Governor Angelo Ngot Mayar expressed sympathy to grieving families and ordered security agencies to move the wounded to safety. He said efforts were under way to recover the stolen cattle and track down those behind the assault.
The state has also asked humanitarian partners to help vulnerable women, children and older people who have been left without food, shelter and medicine.
Acled, a non-profit conflict monitoring group, said at least 60 people were killed and 50 injured in an August attack in the same part of Warrap. A similar attack in March caused 58 deaths and 71 injuries. Last year the state declared a six-month state of emergency in an effort to curb rising violence.
Election preparations and political tensions
The UN has raised concerns about the situation as the world’s youngest country moves toward presidential elections scheduled for December.
The vote was first delayed by a civil war that ended in 2018 with a fragile peace deal between President Salva Kiir and his deputy, Riek Machar. Tensions between the two later caused further delays. Machar was sacked as vice-president and arrested last year, and he has been charged with murder, treason and crimes against humanity, which he denies.
He has been under house arrest in the capital, Juba, since March last year, while fighting persists in some parts of the country. Preparations for the elections have fallen behind, and human rights groups have questioned whether key steps such as voter registration and security arrangements can be completed before the vote.
