Juba: Seventy-six people were killed
in clashes at the weekend in the troubled Jonglei area of
southern Sudan, a military spokesman said on Monday, revising an
earlier toll.
"There is a total of 76 killed and 46 injured. This
includes a total of 22 soldiers (dead): 11 of them are from
the SPLA, the other 11 are from security forces," said Major
General Kuol Diem Kuol of the Sudan People's Liberation
Army (SPLA).
"This is not a raid for cattle but a militia attack
against security forces," he told a news agency.
Tribesmen from the Lou Nuer ethnic group raided the Dinka
Hol village of Duk Padiet yesterday morning, forcing a company
of soldiers based there to flee. Earlier reports from local
authorities put the death toll at 27.
More than 2,000 people have died and 250,000 been
displaced in inter-tribal violence across southern Sudan since
January, according to the United Nations, which says the rate
of violent deaths now surpasses that in the war-torn western
region of Darfur.
Clashes between rival ethnic groups in southern Sudan
erupt frequently -- often sparked by cattle rustling and
disputes over natural resources, while others are in
retaliation for previous attacks.
However, a series of recent raids has shocked many, with
an apparent sharp rise in attacks on women and children, as
well as the targeting of homesteads.
Bureau Report
First Published: Monday, September 21, 2009, 23:52