Thirty-nine people have been killed, and dozens more injured in the violence that erupted between rival groups of cattle herders in South Sudan, according to officials who spoke to AFP on Friday.

The clashes on Wednesday resulted in 19 deaths among herders from northwest Warrap, with 17 people sustaining injuries, as reported by the state’s information minister, William Wol Mayom Bol.

Upon learning of the attack, the Warrap state government dispatched two committees to the area to ease tensions and protect civilians, Minister Bol added.

In the neighboring Lake State, police spokesman Major Elijah Mabor Makuac disclosed a casualty toll of “20 people killed, 36 wounded, and one person still missing.”

Major Makuac noted that such clashes have become an annual event, with rival cattle herding communities from the two states conflicting over resources every dry season.

Minister Bol, in a statement on Thursday, mentioned that although the violence has de-escalated, minor clashes continue in inaccessible swampy areas. He urged for peaceful co-existence and cooperation between the two states.

South Sudan, despite its significant oil reserves, remains one of the world’s poorest countries. It has faced prolonged conflicts, natural disasters, hunger, economic challenges, and communal conflicts throughout its history.

In a recent incident, fighting between rival communities in a disputed region claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan resulted in 54 deaths, including two United Nations peacekeepers.

In May 2023, over 100 individuals lost their lives in central Nigeria during several days of intercommunal violence, resulting in the destruction of hundreds of homes and the displacement of thousands.

The clashes occurred between cattle herders and farming communities in Plateau State, marking the most severe outbreak in years in a region grappling with longstanding ethnic and religious tensions, along with reprisal attacks.

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Confirming the grim toll, Mangu district chairman Daput Minister Daniel informed AFP, “The number of people killed has exceeded 100 from those attacks.”