More than 200 people die in fresh cattle raids in South Sudan

More than 200 people die in fresh cattle raids in South Sudan

2012-03-13 10:57:03 GMT+7 (ICT)

JUBA, South Sudan (BNO NEWS) -- More than 200 people are believed to have been killed after violent cattle raids in a remote region of South Sudan during the weekend, officials said on Monday. Some reports said the death toll could be as high as 800.

The clashes began at around 5 a.m. local time on Friday when some 3,000 suspected members of the Murle tribe attacked cattle camps and villages of the Lou Nuer ethnic group in the Dengjok Payam district of Akobo County, which is located in Jonglei state near the Ethiopian border.

A state official said more than 200 people are believed to have died in the attack, although the Sudan Tribune newspaper said the death toll could be as high as 800. The area is remote and can only be reached by boat, making it difficult to confirm the exact details, but boats have taken at least 250 injured civilians from the area.

Akobo County Commissioner Goy Jooyol told the Sudan Tribune that calls were repeatedly made to the South Sudanese army to respond to the attack, but none of the forces left their bases. A spokesman said no security forces were sent because the soldiers are based about 90 kilometers (55.9 miles) from the area.

Thousands of animals were stolen during Friday's attack.

Meanwhile, the Sudanese People's Liberation Army (SPLA) signed an agreement with the United Nations (UN) to renew its commitment to release all children within its ranks. Monday's agreement ensures the government's commitment to make sure the SPLA have no children within its ranks.

Cattle raids are a persistent problem in South Sudan. Hundreds of cattle were stolen and at least 76 people were killed in late January when an armed group attacked several communities in Tong East County of the remote Warrap State. Earlier that month, nearly 50 people were killed when members of the Murle tribe attacked ethnic Dinkas in Jonglei state.

Before that, in August 2011, at least 600 people were killed and more than 750 others were injured when tribal clashes erupted in Jonglei. The clashes originated between the Murle and Lou Nuer communities following large-scale cattle raids by members of the two groups, leading to the theft of between 26,000 and 30,000 cattle.

South Sudan became the world's newest country when it broke away from Sudan on July 9, 2011, as a culmination of a six-year peace process which began in January 2005 with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM).

More than two million people, most of them civilians who died due to starvation and drought, were killed during the 20-year civil war in Sudan. Although there were hopes that South Sudan secession would lead to peace, violence has continued both on a local level as well as with the Sudanese forces.

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