Local authorities in Maridi County in South Sudan’s Western Equatoria said the security situation is stable after different security forces rotated to the area and took steps to control the situation.

Maridi County’s Executive Director John Ezikia Bol told Radio Tamazuj yesterday that the security situation has returned to normal. He pointed out the last batch of security forces dispatched from the capital Juba arrived on Tuesday morning.

However, the official said many local residents have not yet return back due to a shortage of tents and humanitarian assistance. He pointed out that a needs-assessment committee is working to assess the situation so that humanitarian organizations can provide food and other services to the conflict-affected people in the county.

Many civilians were reported killed, several others wounded and houses were torched in clashes between local farmers and pastoralists who had entered the area from neighboring greater Bahr al Ghazal and Jonglei states.

State Governor Joseph Bakosoro recently announced that the clash was triggered when someone threw a hand grenade at a cattle camp prompting the cattle keepers to respond with gunfire.

Photo: Cattle leaving Maridi, mid June 2015