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| Posted to the web on January 10, 2010 |
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January 10, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – The United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) today voiced concern over recent tribal violence in southern Sudan Warrap state and urged the semi-autonomous government to investigate these incidents.
Ashraf Qazi, the head of UNIMIS
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Cattle raiders from Unity state killed some 139 people during an attack on neighbouring Tonj East County in Warrap state.
The fighting, purportedly over cattle, also left at least 90 wounded and several thousands head of cattle looted.
The bloody attack come after other tribal clashes in Lakes State where about 24 military and civilians were killed last December and this month.
Mr Ashraf Qazi, head of the UN mission in Sudan, urged the southern Sudan government "to investigate these incidents and to redouble their efforts to help de-escalate the rising wave of violence in southern Sudan."
He also requested Juba to redouble their efforts to help de-escalate the rising wave of violence in the region.
He also disclosed that the UNMIS offered to send peacekeeping troops to Lakes to help protect civilians during the rotations of SPLA batches that were involved in confrontations with civilian cattle-keepers in Akot, near Rumbek, in late December and early January.
“In Atar, Jonglei State, UNMIS flew senior government officials into the area and helped to deliver government-provided humanitarian aid on the day of the attack during which several civilians were killed and an estimated 100 tukuls were burnt down. Humanitarian agencies are bringing further assistance to the victims in the days ahead,” he added.
Qazi said his mission dispatched last December a team of peacekeepers to defuse tensions and aid workers to assess humanitarian needs there following the displacement triggered by the clashes.
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