Tribal cattle-clashes erupt again in Sudan’s Jonglei
By Philip Thon Aleu
April 8, 2009 (BOR TOWN) – Clashes between Bor and Murle of Jonglei State cattle raiders and rescuers left about forty people dead on Sunday according to officials reports. The clashes, the second heaviest cattle contest so far this year, comes only two weeks after Lou-Nuer’s retaliatory over cattle raiding and counter-raiding attacks in Pibor County areas of Murle left hundreds of people dead.
Four people are also wounded following the clashes. They are being nursed at Werkok Health Center; about 12 miles east of Bor Town and the new headquarters of Bor County. No information about the injured men on Murle tribesmen is attained since Pibor County headquarters can’t easily be reached by telephone.
Bor County youths, in an attempt to rescue cattle raided on Friday by Murle tribesmen, entered an ambush on Sunday at Mach-abol where long hours’ confrontation left unknown number of them dead.
The cattle were raided between Jabor and Kor-makuach on Juba – Bor road by Murle, according to cattle chiefs.
The cattle camps there are part of Dinka Bor pastoralists returning to Bor from Equatoria States following forceful repatriations programs. On learning about the incident, according to an injured survivor, the youth rush toward the highly suspended raiders’ territory of Murle.
Mach-abol, the scene of clashes, is at the epic-center of the two communities of Murle and Bor. Thirty (30) bodies of the fighters lie by the roadside at Mach-abol, according to soldiers who witnessed them while coming to Bor Town from Pibor County.
The identities of the human remains could not be easily distinguished, the army source, preferring anonymity, says. Some riffles were also seen lying down there, the source added.
In his reports to the Deputy Governor Hussein Mar Nyuot, Pibor Commissioner Akot Maze Adikir confirmed the clashes and that forty people are killed on both sides, Bor Commissioner Abraham Jok Ariing told reporters today Wednesday of where he learnt of the fight when asked to comment.
Whether he knows how many of his men are killed, Ariing says he don’t how many went to rescue the cattle stolen “because I am not involved in tribal conflicts.”
When asked at a news conference on Tuesday about the current security situation in Pibor County, Deputy Gov. Mar Nyuot mentioned SPLA soldiers – Murle clashes without any reference to the Sunday Bor – Murle contest.
Two local people were killed when the SPLA (Sudan People’s Liberation Army) later took guns from their barrack and retaliated on the local people’s aggression following the disagreement at market, Mr. Mar said.
In a related development, unknown gunmen entered a Dinka Bor cattle camp Tuesday evening at Kor-makuach on Juba – Bor road killing four people.
(ST)