UN confirms 58 deaths in Jonglei fighting
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August 20,2011 (JUBA) - The UN mission in South Sudan on Saturday said
that at least 58 people have been killed in fighting in Jonglei state,
the latest sign of instability after South Sudan seceded from the rest
of Sudan in July.
Sudan Tribune reported on Friday that local officials estimate that
over 600 people have died in clashes which broke out on Thursday
between the Murle and Luo Nuer ethnic groups over cattle raiding and
other disputes.
A UN spokesperson in Juba told Reuters that in the two locations the
UN had visited 58 people had been killed although he said that there
were many more areas that have not yet been reached.
"There were around 28 casualties at one location and 30 at another
site. We also witnessed a number of burnt Tukuls (huts)," the UN
spokesperson said.
A group of officials from Jonglei told Sudan Tribune that the clashes
in Uror county had resulted in 640 deaths, 861 people sustaining
injuries, the kidnap of 208 children, the arson of 7,924 houses and
the theft of 38,000 heads of cattle.
The cattle raid and attack was a consequence of poverty and
competition over resources Jonglei state governor Kuol Manyang told
the BBC.
"People need cattle for their own survival, for food security and for
marriages - and there is competition over land and water resources,
because of underdevelopment," Manyang said.
The BBC quoted Jonglei officials as putting the death toll at over 500
and the number of children kidnapped at over 200.
The claims have yet to be verified by the UN Mission in South Sudan
(UNMIS). Calm was reported to have returned to the area on Saturday.
The attack by the Murle group against Luo Nuer is thought to be in
response to a reciprocal attack in June. Despite a 2005 peace deal
that ended South Sudan’s conflict with the north the underdeveloped
south has remained unstable.
A high proliferation of small arms among the population left over from
the civil war and a cycle of tit for tat cattle raids have blighted
South Sudan for the duration of Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which
ended with South Sudan’s independence on July 9th.
Between January and July this year over 330 violent incidents have
resulted in the deaths of 2,368 people according to the UN.
Juba consistently accuses Khartoum of arming groups in South Sudan in
order to retain control of the 75 percent of oil that it lost when the
South seceded. Sudan denies that it assists any armed groups in the
territory of its new neighbour.
(ST)
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