Heads of cattle being driven elsewhere in South Sudan

Two people were reportedly killed in a dispute between cattle keepers and farmers in Wau State last night.

According to an official, the incident occurred when a group of armed pastoralists attacked some villages in Kwajina County.

Commissioner Bahr Juok describes one of the victims as a well-known traditional musician – Mayol Maluch Ayiech.

“The cattle keepers were along the Wau river bank and they destroyed the farms of the prison service all.”

Mr Juok said the armed herders then matched into the village and started looting households.

“They started entering the houses of people and taking away all belongings including bicycles and goats.”

The attack on the farmers came just 2 days after President Salva Kiir warned cattlemen to keep away from farms.

He said during the peace rally in Wau town that such habit is unacceptable. “The issue of cattle keepers allowing their cattle to destroy farm, is bad,” he said.

Last year, Kiir issued an order directing cattle keepers to leave the Equatoria region. “I was the first one to bring trucks and loaded them and brought them to Wau here.”

Kiir called on the cattle keepers in Wau not to interfere with  farms in the area.