File photo of Gogrial West County Headquarters said to be currently sited in water. Courtesy

At least seven people have been killed in Warrap State, including five in retaliatory attacks over the weekend, according to the state government.

The renewed violence comes despite calls for peace by President Salva Kiir during his tour of the Bahr el Ghazal region last week.

William Wol Mayom, Warrap State Minister of Information and Communication, said in a statement that two people were shot dead in cold blood in Gogrial West and Gogrial East counties by unidentified armed criminals.

He said the incident occurred at about 12:20 Am on Sunday night.

According to the minister, the killings triggered a retaliatory attack against the Marial Wau community of Jur River County in Western Bahr el Ghazal State, resulting in the deaths of five people.

He added that 56 herds of cattle were also raided from the Marial Wau community during the retaliation.

Warrap State Governor Bol Wek Agoth condemned the attacks and ordered the immediate deployment of joint security forces, in coordination with the government of Western Bahr el Ghazal State, to the affected areas to restore order.

According to the statement, Governor Agoth directed the security forces to prevent further clashes, recover the raided cattle, and restore community relations through dialogue and reconciliation mechanisms.

The government said a joint investigation to identify those responsible for the initial killings and the subsequent retaliation would commence with immediate effect.

President Kiir recently visited the states of Western Bahr el Ghazal, Warrap, and Northern Bahr el Ghazal during his first regional tour of 2026.

During the visit, he encouraged communities in the region to embrace peace ahead of elections expected in December this year.

Warrap State, which is also the home state of President Kiir, continues to face serious security challenges, including revenge killings, cattle raids, and communal disputes.

Despite efforts to promote peace, including disarmament exercises and peace conferences held during the state of emergency last year, violence has persisted in several counties, including Tonj East, Tonj North, and Tonj South, where sporadic clashes continue to erupt.