The government is yet to launch an intervention to quell the intercommunal fighting that led to the killing of at least 23 people in Padeah village, Leer County, Unity State last week.

The fight came as a result of revenge after a misunderstanding between the cattle keepers in the area. Most casualties are women and children.

Speaking to The City Review in a telephone interview yesterday, State Minister of Information and Communication, Gabriel Hon, said that the state government could not intervene following the long distance from the state headquarters of Bentiu to Padeah Village in Leer County.

“The cause of the fighting was a misunderstanding among the cattle keepers in the area where one person was killed, then it was fuelled as a revenge attack that left at least 23 people dead and many others injured,” Hon said.

“The government did not reach them during clashes because it was very difficult for the government to reach the place and it was very far from headquarters,” he added.

On Monday, the Humanitarian Coordinator Ad Interim in South Sudan, Matthew Hollingworth, condemned the violence and called on the state government to always protect the communities from fighting.

He said people in South Sudan struggle on a daily basis to survive, and such violence could have a terrible impact on affected communities.

Reports from the humanitarian coordination in Juba revealed that on December 1, armed youth from Mayendit and Leer clashed, and that fight continued over several days.

The report also indicates that since March 2021, there has been an increase in the number of communal violence incidents in some of the states, which is perpetrated by youth. It added that aid workers have been attacked and assets looted in Greater Tonj and Greater Pibor Administrative Areas, hence paralysing affected humanitarian operations.