Governors of two South Sudanese states met in Juba on Monday after clashes in Lobonok, Central Equatoria, between Dinka Bor herders and Bari farmers resulted in at least five deaths.
Philip Aguer, the newly appointed governor of Jonglei State, met the governor of the new Jubek State, Augustino Jadalla Wani, together with community leaders, to try to contain the situation.
According to a member of parliament representing the area, John Lodu Tombe, the two groups have been fighting each other over the past three days.
He told Eye Radio that at least five people have been killed and a young boy is still missing after allegedly being abducted. The official described the bodies as still unburied, saying communities had fled.
Lobonok, the home village of Vice President James Wani Igga, is located south of Juba on the east bank of the Nile.
According to a community leader, the current conflict in Lobonok is said to have been sparked when cattle keepers from Bor who are staying in the area were blamed for driving their cattle into a local’s garden.
The new governor of Jonglei says that the government is moving urgently to contain the conflict. He spoke to media after a closed-door meeting with his counterpart from Jubek State.
“We are here at the headquarters of Jubek State. We met with the governor of the state Honorable Jadalla and all of the heads of the Bari community and Dinka Bor community and we discussed the problems in Lobonok area between pastoralists and farmers in the area,” said Aguer.
“And we came to urgent solutions to stop the killing between the herders and farmers,” he said, noting that they resolved to form a joint committee to intervene in the situation.
Aguer also disclosed that a police force was sent on Sunday to intervene.