Barricade tape for crime scene (Courtesy)

The death toll in the violence in Kajo-Keji County has risen to 27 people including six herders, the commissioner has said.

The incident occurred in Lire Payam on Thursday morning.

It was initially reported that 2o people including 18 men and two women were killed in the violence.

But Kajo-Keji Commissioner said one of the wounded passed away on Friday, while confirming the death of at least six people from the side of the attackers.

Commissioner Phanuel Dumo told Eye Radio that were being buried in a mass grave.

Speaking to Eye Radio on Friday morning, he said the situation is calm.

“The situation on the ground is calm, peaceful, and the cattle herders are on the way now heading towards Kaya. We are up to now keeping the registered one is 21 and my committee of medical had gone to the site to check the area around,” the local official said.

“They have to check the area all around, there are aged people who are missing, we want them to go and find out are they alive, if they are alive, they have to be brought, if they are killed, they have to be brought so that I establish the number of people dead”.

Meanwhile, Simon Manyok, the Human Rights Advisor to Jonglei State government is appealing to the herders to comply with the 2018 presidential decree to return to their places of origin.

“My advice to cattle keepers is that, you stick to the agreement that we said yesterday. This is the order or the decree of our president that cattle camps should go back to where they come from,” he said.

Manyok, who returned to Juba from Kajo-keji after meeting with the local authorities over the conflict, also calls on the locals to ensure a safe passage for the cattle keepers.

“I want to advise them through (Eye Radio), this is the order from our president and being good citizens, you should respect what our president said and take your cattle back to the original area.”

“To the residents, those who are in Kajo-Keji, please though there is disagreement, we still want peace. Let them go freely, open the corridors”.