Casualties of Murle War

March 15, 2009 (BOR) – Heavy clashes reported last week between Lou Nuer and Murle communities in rural Jonglei state have resulted in hundreds of casualties but local authorities in Bor Town have declined to comment.

According to Reuters news agency, the commissioner of Pibor County, Akot M. Adikiu, believes that about 453 people have been killed, based on the 200 bodies he had seen and information from chiefs and members from villages. "Many of the deaths are women and children."

Dinka Bor, Nuer, Jieng, Anyuak, Kachipo and Murle communities in Jonglei State are pastoralists. The communities, many of which are heavily armed, raid each other for cattle, which form an important part of the region’s society and economy. Thousands have been killed in South Sudanese villages yearly despite the country’s north-south peace accord reached in Kenya on January 9, 2005.

But the recent clashes between Lou Nuer and Murle are heavier than usual. Authorities of Jonglei State reported the clashes last Tuesday. That day, Jonglei Governor Kuol Manyang Juuk briefed the President of the Government of Southern Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit on the clashes.

But Adikiu said that attacks began March 5, struck at least 17 villages controlled by the Murle tribe, and lasted until March 13.

The governor said the attack by the Lou-Nuer clan against the Murle tribe was in retaliation to previous attacks against the community by the heavily armed Murle community since January this year. He related that Lou-Nuer fighters had captured the Murle town of Kwangala — the second largest of the Murle community’s administrative headquarters after Pibor town.

Thousands are said to be fleeing the attacks.

This mail is from sudantribune.com for you to check it out.

Peter Wiyual Dak

Dear all

I hope everything now will calm down b/n Murle and other because they already faced the consequences.

Thank
Ker Biel