Inter-community massacres in Jonglei in South Sudan

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It's a real bloodbath that took place this weekend in South Sudan. Community clashes have left many dead and injured in the northeastern region of Jonglei. No final assessment for the moment, but some speak of more than 300 dead and 300 injured.

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According to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), gun fights broke out on Saturday 16 May in the morning around the town of Pieri, causing residents to flee into the bush or to surrounding villages. Clashes continued with dozens of destroyed houses, looted NGO hangars, abducted women and stolen cattle. MSF estimates that the final toll will be very heavy, not to mention that many of the injured will not be able to access care. Three aid workers, including one from Médecins Sans Frontières, were also killed.

A conflict between Murle and Lou Nuer

At the roots of this crisis, we find a conflict which has lasted for almost half a century between two ethnic groups. On one side the Murle, nomads living from animal husbandry, on the other the Lou Nuer, shepherds from the North, three times more numerous. Groups that have allied in the past, but whose union has shattered independence.

According to several sources, the Murles were behind the attack on Saturday May 16. It would be revenge after a bloody assault by Lou Nuer earlier this year. The UN representative in South Sudan makes the link between these conflicts and the governors who have still not been appointed by the government. “  He is a character who unites the tribes. He has the authority to reconcile and act when some people resist,  ”says David Shearer. The latter also links these battles to the recent floods which have caused heavy economic losses. The UN mission in the country adds that because of the Covid-19 and movement restrictions, the peace initiatives between Murle and Lou Nuer are stopped.

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• South Sudan
• Africa
• Humanitarian