An armed cattleman at Lakatoc Cattle Camp, Tonj in the past. The area has been rocked by intercommunal violence related to cattle and revenge killings | Credit | Marcus Perkins

At least 10 people have been reportedly killed in a cattle-related attack in Tonj North, three weeks after the government launched a disarmament exercise there.

The incident, which continued at the weekend, also led the injury of 19 people, according to the former Secretary-General of the defunct Tonj North state.

Gabriel Awan said there have been series of retaliatory attacks between armed youth from Awan-Parek and Adok communities since May.

“It is a continuation of the conflict that erupted on 7 May between Adok and Awan Parek,” he stated.

“That conflict continued up to the 23 July, in which 10 people were killed and 19 others wounded.”

Awan said the Office of the President has sent a delegation to investigate the matter.

These clashes are happening despite an ongoing disarmament exercise.

At the beginning of July 2020, the SSPDF began removing guns from the hands of civilians. The exercise was launched in Tonj North County, Warrap State.

The Commander of the Disarmament Exercise justified why it started with the area, saying that the civilians around Tonj County are using heavy machinery to conduct cattle raid and kill each other.

In January, the then government of Tonj established a special court in Kuajok town to try those accused of killings and participating in communal violence.

Six Executive Chiefs and 11 others were apprehended for reportedly agitating and participating” violence between the two communities of Moch and Panarik in December 2019.

President Salva Kiir recently announced plans to start a country-wide disarmament campaign to end communal violence “once and for all”.

Lakes State, Jonglei State and Warrap state have suffered continuous waves of communal conflict largely sparked by cattle-related incidences and revenge attacks.