The head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Nicholas Haysom, on Friday said the Mission is deeply concerned about deadly cattle raids over the past few days, by armed youth in the area around Kapoeta North in Eastern Equatoria State, a press release said.

The raids reportedly resulted in scores of people killed, injured, abducted, and theft of livestock.

“The Mission rapidly deployed UN peacekeepers into the area to conduct a four-day long-duration patrol as a way of stemming the tide of violence and to build confidence among community members,” the statement read. “UNMISS continues to maintain a visible presence and is engaging with local authorities and affected communities to further assess the situation and to prevent revenge attacks.”

UNMISS said it is supporting the travel of authorities to the area to conduct community discussions and diffuse tensions.

“The Mission is also working closely with humanitarian agencies and the local authorities, to facilitate and support the evacuation of critically wounded civilians to the nearest hospital in the state capital of Torit,” the statement added.

The Mission said it is seriously concerned about reports of some youth planning and mobilizing to mount counter-campaigns to retrieve raided cattle.

“UNMISS appeals to the national, state, and local community leaders to take urgent steps to prevent the violence from spiraling, specifically to resolve disputes through dialogue; in addition to holding accountable those responsible for the violence,” the statement concluded.