At the locations noted above, groups of armed cattle keepers from Pagor and Tiap Tiap clashed. 10 cattle keepers were killed and 17 wounded as a result of the fighting. This is the third cattle raid recorded between these communities since the beginning of April and is likely a response to the 13 April cattle raid which resulted in an unknown number of cattle thefts. The last few years have seen repeated clashes between these groups over cattle. Since the start of the year, communities from Pagor and Tiap Tiap villages have engaged in at least 6 cattle raids against each other. While not all raids have resulted in casualties, a total of 18 fatalities have been recorded, including the 10 from this incident. State-led disarmament efforts have had varying degrees of success in reducing conflict related to cattle raids. A disarmament effort in November of last year led to two violent confrontations in Cueibet between SSPDF and civilians. During the President’s recent trip through Lakes State, the Governor of Gok State came under criticism for failing to prevent violence between these communities.
Historically, Lakes State has been affected by inter- and intracommunal violence which has resulted in significant loss of life. For example, in February 2014, a single clash between groups from Pagor and Tiap Tiap resulted in 45 people killed (both cattle keepers and civilians). In May of the same year a clash between community groups of Cueibet and Rumbek North resulted in at least 200 people killed (both cattle keepers and civilians).
