At least 14 people were killed and 25 wounded in intercommunal clashes between armed groups in South Sudan’s Lakes State, police authorities said on Saturday.
The fighting erupted on Friday evening after armed youth from the Gok community in Cueibet County tied up an elderly man and stole an unspecified number of goats, according to Lakes State Acting Police Commissioner Maj. Gen. Mabor Majok Machar.
The clashes pitted armed youth from the Pakam and Rup sections of the Agar community in Rumbek against the Gok community of Cueibet County, with violence continuing into Saturday morning.
Maj. Gen. Machar told Radio Tamazuj that nine people were killed and 12 wounded on the Agar side, while the Gok community reported five dead and 13 wounded.
“We have deployed two Land Cruisers with 12 officers, along with additional forces, to contain the situation,” Machar said. “I am still gathering accurate casualty figures and will provide updates soon.”
The violence threatens to disrupt years of relative peace in the region, where cattle raids and intercommunal fighting have resurged.
Daniel Laat Kon, a civil society activist in Lakes State, blamed the clashes on the goat theft and warned that widespread gun ownership could escalate tensions.
A representative from Rumbek State Hospital, who identified himself only as Madit, said multiple gunshot victims—some in critical condition—had been admitted for treatment.
South Sudan has struggled with recurring intercommunal violence, often driven by disputes over livestock and land.