Südsudan

[Schneemann]

South Sudan clashes: Murles exact revenge in Jonglei

Some 57 people, mostly women and children, have been killed in a revenge attack in South Sudan, officials say.

Information Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin said members of the Murle community had attacked their Lou Nuer rivals in Jonglei state. Earlier this month, a force of some 6,000 Lou Nuer fighters went on the rampage, forcing tens of thousands of Murles to flee their homes. The two groups have a long history of stealing each other's cattle.

Some 1,000 people have been killed in the past year. Following the recent clashes, extra UN peacekeepers and soldiers were rushed to the area and Jonglei was declared a disaster zone. [...]

Cattle vendettas are common in South Sudan, as are other clashes between rival groups. The UN says some 350,000 people were displaced because of intercommunal violence last year.

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Schneemann.