Young people in Abyei have been complaining about the high cost of the dowry.
Many say they want to get married, but the dowry prevents them. Unemployment and the high cost of cattle make things even harder.
“The problem is with our parents,” said one young woman. “They like cows very much, but for us you can love a man and live with him without cows.”
The marriage court in Agok deals with many cases where the dowry has not been paid. A court official, Akanon Agok Deng, thinks expensive dowries will mean more people ending up in court.
Some parents also thought the system needs to change. Yout Alor Ater, a father of a young girl, said: “Is it not better to marry with a small dowry so a couple can live their life together, so they can have children, which can benefit the whole community?”
Reporting by Abyei Today