Ethnic Clashes For Land Leave 29 Dead, 21 Injured In South Sudan

State official said on Tuesday that 29 people were killed in ethnic clashes for control of grazing land between rival clans in South Sudan.

Abila Modi, Commissioner of Tali North County, said 21 others were injured after fighting between different clans, the Bura and the Tombek, of the Mundari tribe in Terekeka state, just 80 km north of the capital, Juba.

“We have confirmed the dead bodies of 29 peoples, who died of guns shot in the tribal clashes,” Modi said.

He said about 21 people were also critically injured during the clashes and were receiving treatment in a local hospital.

“The situation is currently tense because both clans are heavily armed with modern weapons, ”he added.

Modi say the state government has requested the army be deployed to the region to help the state gain control of the situation.

State and regional government officials said there would be an investigation and promised the arrest of those behind the violence.

In South Sudan, pastoralist communities have a long and bloody history of clashes for control of grazing land and water for cattle.

Raids and counter attacks are not uncommon.

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir declared a state of emergency in some parts of the country in June in an attempt to curb the violence.

The fighting has worsened as the different groups acquire illegal guns.

Much of South Sudanese society has been disrupted amid four year of civil war, which began in December 2013.