The encounters occurred in Warrap state, in northern South Sudan, where a wave of ethnic violence over cattle ownership erupted in recent days.

Concerning the issue, UNMISS called for government intervention to stop the intercommunal conflict in the country, which gained independence 13 years ago.

According to eyewitnesses, the clashes began in the village of Guilt between members of the Luach-Jang and Jal-Wau communities.

Meanwhile, clashes between the army and local militias continue in the country, as well as airstrikes that have also caused civilian casualties.

Tensions between the government and opposition groups erupted in March when a local militia, called the White Army, invaded a military barracks in Nasir, a town in the northeast of the country.

In South Sudan, after several years of civil war, feuding political leaders signed a peace agreement in 2018 and, in August 2022, agreed to extend the transition period originally set to expire in February 2025, with elections scheduled for December this year after several delays.

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