UNITED NATIONS, (Reuters) – Clashes in South Sudan have left at least 600 people dead and hundreds wounded, and possibly displaced more than a quarter million people, the U.N. Mission in South Sudan said yesterday.
The U.N. mission in the country, known as UNMISS, has reported deadly tribal clashes in recent days in South Sudan, signaling instability just weeks after the region gained independence from Khartoum.
“This cycle of violence must stop,” said U.N. special representative in South Sudan, Hilde Johnson.
“That so many people have been killed and injured again in such wanton destruction is unacceptable,” she said in a statement. “I urge restraint by both sides of this tragic conflict. Reconciliation efforts are now urgently needed.”
The fighting in the region is often sparked by disputes over cattle — a vital part of the indigenous economy.
The statement said at least 600 people were killed and that UNMISS had unconfirmed reports of 750-985 people wounded. Local reports received by UNMISS suggest that between 26,000 and 30,000 cattle were stolen during the attacks and many homes destroyed, the mission said.
