From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Thu Sep 15 2011 - 13:25:55 EDT
Cattle raiders kill 46 in in South Sudan
Thu Sep 15, 2011 3:08pm GMT
KHARTOUM, Sept 15 (Reuters) - At least 46 people were killed and around
5,000 cows stolen in the latest tribal violence in newly independent South
Sudan, authorities said on Thursday.
South Sudan became independent in July after a 2005 peace deal with Khartoum
that ended decades of civil war but the oil-producing nation has been
struggling to end tribal and rebel violence that has killed around 3,000
people this year.
The violence threatens to turn the new nation into a failed state and could
upset the stability of its east African neighbours.
In the latest incident, youths from Warrap state attacked villages in
neighbouring Unity state last weekend, officials said on Thursday.
"It's a disastrous issue. A group with fire-arms came to villages in
Mayendit. They came to raid cattle but also killed women and children,"
Unity state minister of information Gideon Gatpan said, adding that another
40 people were still missing.
Analysts say cattle theft is on the rise, driven by inflation of bride
prices, which are traditionally paid in cows.
At least seven rebel militias are fighting the new government's forces in
remote parts of South Sudan, a country roughly the size of France.
South Sudan has accused Khartoum of supporting militias but the north denies
this, and many rebels say they are fighting against what they see as
corruption and ethnic discrimination in the south's government, charges it
denies. (Reporting by Hereward Holland; Editing by Giles Elgood)
C Thomson Reuters 2011 All rights reserved
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