Herders, farmers clash leaves four dead in Kwarjina area

Photo: Kwarjina map (retrieved from Google Maps)

At least four people have been killed and two others wounded in clashes between herders from Tonj State and farmers from neighbouring Wau State in Kwarjina area which lies on the border between the two states over the last three days, a local official said.

At least four people have been killed and two others wounded in clashes between herders from Tonj State and farmers from neighbouring Wau State in Kwarjina area which lies on the border between the two states over the last three days, a local official said.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Thursday, Tonj County Commissioner Sabrino Philip Basia said the killing took place in two separate incidents after misunderstanding between the two sides.

 “There are pockets of rebels from Bhar al Ghazal [Wau state], who try to cross to Tonj area and sometimes kill cattle keepers, and the herders sometimes go to the areas of farmers from Jur of Tonj, so there was misunderstanding,” he said.

The local official pointed out that the state government has asked the herders to leave the area so local farmers could return to their homes. Sabrino noted that the government of Tonj state has already deployed a police force in the area to control the situation.