49 Killed, 33 Wounded in Armed Attack on Cattle Herders in South Sudan

By Al Mayadeen English

Source: Agencies

28 Aug 2026 17:49

At least 49 people were killed and 33 wounded after armed men attacked a cattle herders’ camp in South Sudan’s Warrap State.

At least 49 people were killed and 33 others wounded after armed men attacked a gathering of cattle herders in South Sudan’s Warrap State, in one of the latest outbreaks of communal violence linked to disputes over grazing land, water resources, and cattle.

The attack took place at around 5 am on Thursday, when armed men from neighboring Unity State and others attacked a cattle herders’ camp in Northern Tonj County, according to Warrap State Information Minister William Wol Mayom Bol, who described the assault as “brutal.”

Bol urged residents to exercise restraint and refrain from retaliatory attacks, saying authorities in Warrap and Unity states were working together to identify those responsible and hold them accountable.

Authorities urge restraint amid communal tensions

Unity State Information Minister Nyakenya Johannes told Reuters that the attackers were not all from her state, adding that officials from both states were working to strengthen peaceful coexistence among local communities and prevent the violence from spreading.

Communal conflicts are widespread in South Sudan, particularly among pastoralist communities competing over grazing areas and water sources or involved in cattle theft. The widespread availability of firearms among civilians has also contributed to higher casualty figures and allowed local disputes to escalate into deadly clashes.

The latest attack comes as South Sudan prepares for presidential elections scheduled for December 2026. The vote is expected to be the country’s first presidential election since it gained independence from Sudan in 2011.

169 killed in massacre 

At least 169 people have been killed and buried in a mass grave in northern South Sudan, local officials told AFP in March, as violence continues to intensify across the country. South Sudan, which gained independence in 2011, has endured years of instability marked by civil war, economic collapse, and entrenched corruption.

The latest massacre took place in Abiemnom County near the border with Sudan. Elizabeth Achol, health minister in the northern Ruweng administrative area, told AFP that 169 bodies had been buried in a mass grave, while Information Minister James Monyluak confirmed the toll and said the victims included women, children, and elderly people. He warned that the number could rise as more bodies are recovered, while an anonymous diplomatic source initially put the death toll at 70.

Initial reports suggested the attack may have been carried out by an ethnic Nuer group, possibly in retaliation for the killing of traders, according to the diplomatic source. Monyluak said many residents had fled to nearby villages, while others sought refuge at a local United Nations compound, adding that government security forces had since been deployed and brought the area under control.

A UN Mission in South Sudan spokesperson told AFP that peacekeepers were temporarily sheltering around 1,000 civilians at their base and providing emergency medical treatment to people wounded in the attack. The latest violence comes as clashes between government and opposition forces have intensified in Jonglei state over the past two months, displacing around 280,000 people, according to UN figures, while Doctors Without Borders, or MSF, said 26 of its staff members were missing following an airstrike on one of its facilities and suspended medical services in Lankien and Pieri.

The escalation has prompted renewed international concern over South Sudan’s fragile security situation, with the United Nations warning that the country could slide back into full-scale conflict as a power-sharing agreement between President Salva Kiir and longtime rival Riek Machar continues to unravel. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk expressed alarm over the deteriorating situation and called for urgent action to prevent a return to full-scale civil war.