At least nine people were reported killed and three others wounded in a foiled cattle raid in Bunagok Payam of Awerial County of Lakes State on Tuesday.

The fighting erupted when armed youth suspected to have come from Yirol West of Lakes State attacked a cattle camp in Palm-Anok area of Awerial early in the morning.

According to James Kenny, the executive-director of Awerial County, the armed youth did not succeed in taking any cattle.  “Yesterday at 5 am, armed criminals from Yirol came and shot three people dead and wounded two people. They came back again to attack a cattle camp in Awerial Centre at around 6 pm and fought and killed four people and injured another person there,” Kenny said.

“The total number of people killed on the side of Awerial are seven and three wounded. On the side of Yirol, two were killed but we did not get details of those wounded from their side,” the executive director added.

He urged communities in Awerial not to revenge but wait for the government to act and allow the law to take its course.

Yirol officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Edmund Yakani, head of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), which promotes civil society values, urged the national government in a recent statement to stop inter-communal fighting through making genuine peace and reconciliation processes.

The renowned civil society activist said citizens are expecting more from the country’s leadership on peace, security and economic recovery in 2021.

While political violence has largely subsided in South Sudan since the signing of a peace agreement in September 2018, conflicts among communities in the country, often fought over cattle, continue to result in the killing and injuring of civilians.

Cattle-related clashes are rampant in Lakes state and often lead to several deaths, injuries and the looting of property.