KUAJOK – At least seven people have been killed and 56 head of cattle raided following a cycle of retaliatory attacks involving communities in South Sudan’sWarrap State and neighbouring Western Bahr el Ghazal State.
The violence began in the early hours of June 14 in Wuntim Village of Gogrial East County, Warrap State, where two people from Gogrial East and Gogrial West counties were shot dead by unidentified armed attackers.
According to William Wol Mayom, Warrap State’s Minister of Information and Communication Services, the killings sparked a revenge attack targeting the Marial Wau community in Jur River County, Western Bahr el Ghazal State.
“The incident subsequently triggered a retaliatory attack against the Marial Wau community of Jur-River County, Western Bahr el Ghazal State, resulting in the killing of five people,” Mayom said in a statement dated June 15, 2026.
The minister added that the retaliatory raid also led to the loss of livestock.
“On the other hand, 56 herds of cattle were also raided from Marial Wau community during the retaliation,” he said.
The latest violence highlights persistent intercommunal tensions and cattle-related conflicts that continue to affect communities along the border between Warrap and Western Bahr el Ghazal states.
Mayom said the Warrap State government, led by Governor Amb. Bol Wek Agoth, had moved quickly to prevent further escalation by deploying security forces to the affected areas in coordination with authorities in Western Bahr el Ghazal.
He said joint security forces had been dispatched “to the affected areas, preventing further clashes, recovering the raided cattle, and restoring community relations through dialogue and reconciliation mechanisms.”
Authorities have also launched investigations into both the initial killings and the retaliatory attack.
“A joint investigation to identify the perpetrators responsible for the initial killings and subsequent retaliation commences with immediate effect,” Mayom said.
No arrests had been announced by the time of publication, and authorities did not immediately identify the armed individuals responsible for the initial attack in Wuntim Village.
The incident comes amid recurring episodes of cattle raiding and revenge attacks in parts of South Sudan, where local disputes often escalate into deadly intercommunal violence despite ongoing peace and reconciliation efforts by state authorities.
