South Sudan clashes death toll rises to 250

JUBA, Sudan (AFP) - The death toll from clashes between rival ethnic groups in south Sudan has risen to 250 people, a district official said on Wednesday, with dozens of children also abducted.

Armed fighters from the Murle ethnic group in remote Akobo county in eastern Jonglei state attacked Lou Nuer villages over the weekend, county commissioner Doyak Chol said, revising Monday's initial toll of 177 dead.

"We have recovered and counted 250 bodies and 33 children have been abducted by the Murle," Chol told AFP by satellite telephone.

"The destruction has been very bad, many huts have been burnt and destroyed," Chol said, adding that he expected more bodies to be found with a possible final toll of around 300 dead.

It was the second outbreak of deadly violence between the two ethnic groups in Jonglei in a month. In March, as many as 750 people were killed in clashes in Pibor county further south.

Chol said that the areas attacked had been left vulnerable after a government-backed disarmament campaign collected guns from one area, but not from other rival groups.

Jonglei state was one of the areas hardest hit in Sudan's two-decade-long north-south civil war, which ended in 2005.

But the state remains awash with small arms and there are frequent clashes between rival groups.

Authorities struggle to maintain order in the sprawling state, which is the size of Austria and Switzerland combined.

The limited dirt roads that cross the swampy region are often impassable for months at a time as a result of heavy rains.

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Fresh clashes in Jonglei State "worrisome" - UN official

JUBA, 21 April 2009 (IRIN) - Attacks by the Murle ethnic group on the Lou Nuer ethnic group in Jonglei State in Southern Sudan are a new and worrisome development, the top UN official in the region warned.

"What we have seen recently, where we have seen attacks on civilian settlements, not just cattle raiding... is a new dimension that I find worrisome," said David Gressly, the regional coordinator for the UN peacekeeping mission in Southern Sudan (UNMIS).

"It is a situation that needs to be de-escalated relatively rapidly, before we see a further deterioration in the situation there," he told reporters in Juba on 21 April.

Armed Murle fighters in remote Akobo County attacked Lou Nuer villages over the weekend of 18 April, according to county commissioner Doyak Chol. As many as 300 were feared killed.

"The attacks have been terrible," he told IRIN by satellite phone. "We have 177 counted as dead but there are more unaccounted for... Many 'tukuls' [thatch huts] have also been burnt."

Clashes in Southern Sudan between rival ethnic groups break out frequently - some sparked by cattle rustling and disputes over natural resources, others in retaliation for previous attacks.

The scale of violence and the apparently increasing number of attacks on women and children, as well as the targeting of homesteads, is causing concern.

Some Southern Sudanese say outside forces keen to destabilise the south are backing the raids, but Gressly said there was "no evidence" to support allegations that such raids were being fomented by external forces - such as officials in northern Sudan. Khartoum fought a long war with the south until a peace accord was signed in 2005.

"We want to work very closely with the government at all levels to try to help control the security situation there," he added.

Second outbreak of violence in a month

The recent clashes in the Akobo were the second outbreak of deadly violence between the two ethnic groups in Jonglei in a month. In March, about 750 people were killed in clashes in Pibor County, further south.

Gressly said peacekeepers were examining how they could better support those at risk of further attacks. "We are looking at how we can better carry out such a role, particularly in a volatile area like Jonglei State," he told reporters.

The vast and remote region provided a massive challenge to those trying to support peace efforts. "In order to carry out that role, we may need to be configured differently" to provide better protective support if required, Gressly added.