A cattle keeper protects his herd with an AK-47 somewhere in South Sudan. Presence of arms in the hands of civilians is often said to be one of the reasons clashes recur among the pastoralist communities | Credit | bpnews.net

At least fifteen people have been killed and several others wounded over the weekend in cattle-related violence at the border between Warrap and Unity States.

James Chuol, the Commissioner of Mayom County in Unity State said the incident was triggered after a group of cattle raiders from Tonj North in Warrap State invaded cattle camps in Mayom County.

He said among those killed are women and children.

“The cause was cattle raiding, 15 civilians including children were killed and those wounded are 23,” Chuol said to the state-run TV on Sunday.

“We want everyone to return to their places. In order to return to normalcy, what we are going to do is to conduct patrols,” he added.

A medical doctor in Warrap has confirmed the killings.

Akot Santino Anei says some of the wounded including women and children are receiving treatment at Kwajok hospital.

“The fighting was so serious that it reached to Gogrial that has led to the loss of lives of people. Fifteen lost theirs live and fifteen were wounded. Some of them were referred to Kwajok hospital,” Anei stated.

But residents of the two areas told Eye Radio that more than 30 people have died in the violence.

Pastoralist communities have experienced endless waves of communal violence, mainly fueled by revenge attacks, cattle raiding, and land grabbing.

The UN Mission in South Sudan says cattle-related killings and revenge attacks remain the biggest insecurity challenges.