Armed youth in a cattle camp near Rumbek, Lakes State | File photo

The militarized nature of armed communal conflicts is making it difficult for the authorities to intervene and restore security in Lakes State, police have said.

Fighting among civilians has mostly been reported in Cueibet and Yirol counties over the last two weeks.

The latest figures indicate that at least 29 people have been killed.

The statement came after at least two more people were shot dead in another cattle-related fighting in Dhel-kou within Yirol County on Saturday.

Despite several disarmament exercises, local youth, commonly known as ‘gelweng’, are still in possession of small firearms.

The police say it has not been able to apprehend those involved in the clashes.

In his remarks to Eye Radio, the state police spokesperson, Captain Mabor Makuac, state that the youth are more armed than the police force.

“The youth are currently heavily armed, more than the police themselves. They are more powerful than the police. Police cannot arrest them,” Capt. Makuac revealed.

Lakes State has continued to experience endless waves of communal violence, mainly fueled by revenge attacks, cattle raiding, and land grabbing.

In 2020, President Salva Kiir hinted that the government would initiate a full-scale countrywide disarmament exercise and communal dialogues to end the circle of communal violence.

But the exercise has so far not succeeded as civilians continue to kill each other every week.

According to the UN Mission in South Sudan, revenge attacks and cattle-related killings remain the biggest insecurity challenges after political violence subsided in the country following the signing of the revitalized peace agreement.