Death toll from cattle camp attacks in Eastern Equatoria Exceeds 40

JUBA – The death toll from Friday’s attacks on cattle camps in South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria State has risen to 41, according to community leader Angok Gordon Kuol.

The attacks, which followed days of escalating tension between herders from Jonglei State and host communities in Magwi County, had previously claimed 35 lives.

Kuol, chairperson of the Bor community, whose cattle have been accused of destroying farms, said women and children were among the dead.

“This senseless act of violence claimed the lives of 41 innocent people including women and children, leaving 65 severely wounded, many others not counted for, and entire families deviated,” he said in a statement.

Kuol alleged that local youth, supported by the Eastern Equatoria state government, the Equatoria Protection Army (EPA), and the National Salvation Army (NAS) rebel group, carried out the attack.

He claimed the violence began as herders moved, following Governor Louis Lobong’s ultimatum for them to vacate the area.

“This was not just an attack – it was [a targeted attack] targeting unarmed civilians, driven by greed and a blatant disregard for human life,” Kuol said, urging the government to investigate and ensure justice.

“Those responsible must be swiftly brought to justice so that such barbaric acts never occur again,” he added, calling on the Bor community to remain calm and refrain from retaliatory attacks.

Oyet Nathaniel, First Deputy Speaker of the National Parliament, condemned the violence at the Aru junction.

“We call upon the authorities of the Ministry of Interior, the authorities of the Ministry of Defense, the SSPDF who are deployed in the area and in Magwi county to take charge of law and order, security and safety of civilians and property of all those affected,” he said.

Oyet said he had consulted with leaders in Eastern Equatoria and Jonglei states on how to de-escalate tensions. He appealed for calm in Magwi County, particularly in Agoro, Nyolo, Aru, and surrounding areas, and expressed concern over the surge in hate speech online.

“The level of hate speeches using social media, Facebook platforms, WhatsApp platforms, TikToks and others have also gone record high,” he said.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) expressed its concern about the escalating violence between cattle keepers and farming communities. The mission noted that Friday’s conflict had reportedly triggered retaliatory fighting in several villages.

“These events have created widespread public fear and resulted in civilian displacement from affected areas in Eastern Equatoria as well as from Lokiliri in neighboring Central Equatoria state,” UNMISS said.

The mission stressed the need for national, state, and local authorities to prevent future conflict between herders and farmers.

Residents of Magwi County reported living in fear. Jekery Adong Scovia Johnson, Director of VOICE of South Sudan, a Magwi County NGO, said the displaced are primarily women and children, sleeping outside without shelter.

Adong said approximately 700 displaced people are camped in Obama, with others moving towards Magwi town.

“They cannot eat because their houses are burned to ashes and there is no food to cook,” Adong said, noting mass relocations from several villages.

The Eastern Equatoria State government condemned the attack. Elia John Ahaj, EES Minister of Information, confirmed the incident occurred early Friday morning.

The Eastern Equatoria State Youth Union also condemned the attack and denied allegations linking local youth to the violence.

“Their claims that our youth raided their cattle are baseless and meant to mislead the public,” said Oriaja James, the union’s chairperson.