JUBA – At least 10 people have been killed and 24 others injured in Tonj North County in South Sudan’s Warrap State following a violent cattle raid involving local youths and armed groups from Mayom County in Unity State.
On Tuesday, the Commissioner of Tonj North, Mr. Mawein Akech Mawein, reported that the South Sudan Red Cross had facilitated the transportation of 24 critically injured youths for medical treatment.
“The South Sudan Red Cross has assisted us in transporting the injured youths from Tonj North to Juba, where they will receive treatment for severe wounds that cannot be managed in the county,” Akech said.
He added, “These individuals were airlifted from Wau in Western Bahr el Ghazal. Their injuries are too severe for us to treat locally.”
Mawein clarified that the Red Cross’s role was limited to transporting the victims and did not extend to providing medical treatment.
“Some of these individuals have relatives and communities who will support their treatment. The Red Cross is only assisting with airlifting them, which is the extent of our current efforts,” he explained.
Tonj North and other parts of Greater Tonj have long been plagued by cattle raids and retaliatory killings, both among local communities and with neighbouring regions such as Unity and Lakes states.
Authorities have been working tirelessly to disarm armed groups, but these efforts have met with limited success.
Last week, the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) issued a warning to illegally armed youths in Tonj North and Mayom counties, urging them to surrender their firearms or face forceful disarmament voluntarily.
This directive came after the deployment of joint operation forces to enforce a state of emergency declared by President Salva Kiir in Warrap State and Mayom County in early June, aimed at curbing the escalating violence driven by cattle raids.
However, the persistence of the conflict raises concerns about the effectiveness of the government’s intervention strategy in restoring peace and stability to the two regions.
