15 killed in fresh outbreak of local violence in South Sudan

In South Sudan’s eastern Pibor region, 15 people, including a county commissioner, were shot dead by young men amid escalating local conflicts ahead of a national election later this year, the Reuters reported.

The region has a history of violence, with a civil war causing significant casualties between 2013 and 2018. Although a fragile peace has been maintained since then, sporadic clashes persist among various armed groups.

The attackers, believed to be young individuals from the Anyuak community, ambushed the commissioner and his team upon their return from a village visit.

This incident adds to the longstanding tensions between the Murle and Anyuak ethnic groups in Boma County, often fueled by conflicts over cattle rustling.