Two killed as cattle keepers, farmers clash in Wau state

January 7, 2016 (WAU) – Two people were killed in South Sudan’s newly-created Wau state after cattle keepers clashed with farmers from Jur River county on Wednesday.

The incident, police say, occurred after cattle destroyed crops in Mapel payam.

“As we spoke to villagers, they say that cattle has destroyed their Dura in their farms but when they ask for compensation, the cattle owners response with guns and this was what pumped the fighting,” an officer who asked not to be indentified told Sudan Tribune by phone from Mapel police post.

“We went there as government intervention but we later on withdrawn back to get reinforcement from Mapel because we have found that cattle keepers were using machine guns which was beyond our control but now the SPLA forces have reach on the screen,” he added.

The situation, authorities said, forced some residents out of homes into nearby bushes.

Disputes between cattle keepers from Warrap and Western Bahr el Ghazal states are common occurrences.

In November 2013, traditional chiefs from Warrap and Western Bahr el Ghazal states met in Wau county to discuss how best they could amicably resolved disputes between the various conflicting parties.

(ST)