Rival communities clashes in South Sudan's Lakes state leaves scores dead

Clashes last week between armed groups from rival communities in the central part of South Sudan left scores of people dead and overwhelmed a hospital with wounded people, officials said.

The fighting swept through the Rumbek area of Lakes state on Friday as government soldiers and Nepalese U.N. peacekeepers tried to maintain order. "With the order from sector headquarter, we mobilised our troops immediately to the Rumbek State Hospital, and also we'll patrol around the Rumbek Town," Lt. Col. Lekhnath Katwal, Commander of Nepalese Army for UNMISS Rumbek said Friday.

Mabor Deng, Press Secretary to the Governor of Lakes States said, "There are patrols in town that are running 24/7, to safeguard the movement of people and those that are displaced to come back to their respective homes."

South Sudan's Information Ministry confirmed that about 70 people were killed, including four soldiers, but that the exact toll had yet to be verified. Mbabazi Riesty Loduma, a resident of Rumbek said Tuesday, "We saw people running with their children to save them from the people who were fighting, cause the fighting was continuing from the other side.”

The fighting involved armed youths from the Pakam community in Rumbek North County fighting against armed youths of the Nyang community in Rumbek Central County, both part of the Dinka ethnic group. Disputes over cattle and grazing land, along with revenge killings, have fuelled repeated violence in Lakes state, but the immediate cause of Friday’s clashes was unclear.