South Sudan ethnic clashes leave 45 people dead, 18 injured

At least 45 people were killed and 18 others left injured during a series of ethnic clashes in the volatile nation of South Sudan, an official said on Tuesday.

Heavily armed men from the Atok Buk ethnic group reportedly attacked several villages of the Apuk Parek ethnic group in Tonj North County in northern Warrap State.

According to the county’s acting commissioner, Andrew Deng, several villages were burnt in the attack, while thousands of residents had fled the area.

Local authorities believe the raid was a revenge attack for a similar incident several weeks earlier.

Ethnic clashes have occurred for centuries between ethnic groups in the East African nation.

Frequent attacks include cattle raiding and sometimes the abduction of children to be used as domestic slaves.

Earlier in June, the International Committee of the Red Cross warned that armed violence causing death, injury and displacement was on the rise in various regions of South Sudan.

“Our surgical teams are working overtime, with national and international travel restrictions (due to the Covid-19 pandemic) making it difficult to bring in reinforcements,’’ the ICRC said in a statement.

(dpa/NAN)