Friday, January 8, 2010

According to local government reports, at least 139 people were killed in Sudan recently after clashes between tribes.

The violence started when armed men from the Nuer group reportedly attacked herders from the Dinka tribe in Tonj, a remote region in the south of the country, and took about 5,000 cattle.

“They killed 139 people and wounded 54. Nobody knows how many attackers were killed. But it may be many as a lot of people came to fight,” commented a local deputy governor, Sabino Makana.

The clash actually took place several days ago, but news of it only surfaced today, when a security team for the United Nations visited the area, according to the Agence France-Presse news agency.

“Local sources on the ground said that at least 140 people had been killed, 90 wounded and 30,000 head of cattle had been stolen. This is a matter of deep concern.”” said the UN deputy resident and humanitarian coordinator for southern Sudan, Lise Grande to AFP.

Tribes have frequently been involved in clashes in southern Sudan, often caused by feuds and cattle rustling; however, violence has been particularly high this year. The UN reports that around 2,000 people were killed and another 250,000 people displaced by inter-tribal clashes in the past few months.