At least 38 people were killed and 52 suffered gunshot wounds after residents of a swampy area in central South Sudan battled with cattle herders who moved in looking for water and pasture during the dry season.
The fighting started Wednesday and tensions remained high Thursday night, with officials reporting “minor clashes” and apprehension over revenge attacks in the remote area.
The information minister of Warrap state, William Wol Mayom, who confirmed the incident said, the fighting took place in the Alor area, which is in Lakes State and borders both Warrap and Unity states.
Mayom stated that security forces have been dispatched to quell the situation and relocate the cattle herders away from the contested wetlands.
“The violence has been de-escalated, but minor clashes are still being reported in inaccessible swampy areas and casualties cannot be fully verified,” Mayom stated.
Maj. Elijah Mabor Makuach, a police spokesperson for Lakes State, disclosed that among the casualties, 19 deceased and 17 wounded were civilians from Warrap State, while 19 deceased and 35 wounded were from Lakes State.
Makuach explained that young herders from Warrap had migrated to the Alor area with their cattle two weeks ago, initiating the burning of brush and temporary shelters belonging to residents. The herders sought pasture and water in the swampy lands of Alor.
This outbreak of violence occurred four days after gunmen attacked villagers in Abyei, resulting in at least 52 casualties, including a U.N. peacekeeper, and 64 injuries. The Abyei region is rich in oil and is claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan. Authorities indicated that the violence in Abyei stemmed from a land dispute.
After gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, South Sudan endured internal conflicts from 2013 to 2018, disrupting development and leaving many firearms in the hands of civilians who participated in the conflicts.
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