Six killed in South Sudan communal clashes

At least six people have been killed and 17 others wounded in communal clashes in South Sudan’s former Lakes State, security official said.

The official, who wished to remain anonymous because he is not authorised to talk to the media, said the clashes started on Wednesday evening over a cattle raid. “Yes, the fighting is still on going between the Palchang and Pakam communities,” he told The EastAfrican on phone.

Spark off

He alleged that the Palchang community in Tonj State attacked their Pakam counterparts in western Lakes State, triggering the fighting. The government spokesperson in the capital Juba declined to comment on the matter. The state that seceded from Sudan in 2011 has a long history of communal clashes, with the conflicts often aggravated among nomadic groups over cattle and grazing lands.

South Sudan is home to some 64 ethnic groups, each with several clans. The majority Dinka are cattle keepers. They constitute about 35 per cent of the South Sudan population and graze their animals over vast areas.

PREVIOUS ATTACKS

More than 170 people were killed in fighting between rival cattle herders in central South Sudan last December. Local leaders said homes had been torched and people forced to flee. Government declared a state of emergency in the fighting states.