At least four people were killed in a cattle raid in Rumbek Centre County in South Sudan’s Western Lakes state on Monday evening, a legislator told Radio Tamazuj.
"What happened is that two young men from the Kuei clan who were moving with their cows were ambushed by cattle raiders from the Rup,’ said Kedit Madol, a member of parliament from the Western Lakes area, some 250 kilometres northwest of the capital Juba.
The lawmaker, who hails from Kuei community, pointed out that the clashes between the two sides, resulted in the killing of four people from both sides.
“The attackers from Rup clan were five in number. Two people from my side were killed and two others from Rup were also killed. The incident took place near Nyangkot area where there is a water reservoir,” he said.
The lawmaker identified the two young men killed from his constituency as Malueny Machak and Deng Maguen Nuer.
Chirom Awuok Chirom, a chief of Rup clan in Malek County, confirmed the incident. He identified those who lost their lives from Rup community as Kaman Deng and Chuk Toch.
Rival pastoralist communities have a long and bloody history of tit-for-tat raids in which cattle are rustled and property looted.