An armed raid on a seasonal cattle camp and village in northwest South Sudan has killed at least 49 people, local officials said. The attack, which also wounded 33 others, took place early Thursday, August 27. Gunmen struck the Machar-Pakuek cattle camp and Mading Juer Boma in Majak Payam, Tonj North County, Warrap State.
The young African nation is plagued by violent cattle raids as herders compete for scarce grazing lands and water for their livestock. Warrap spokesperson William Wol Mayom Bol said: “The attack was perpetuated by an armed cross-border, criminal network.” He extended condolences to families that lost loved ones and appealed for restraint.
The local government condemned the attack and called on humanitarian organisations to help respond to the “humanitarian catastrophe resulting from conflict-induced displacement.” The raid comes barely three weeks after another attack in the same area left 60 people dead and 50 wounded.
Last year, President Salva Kiir declared a six-month state of emergency across South Sudan amid a surge of violent inter-communal cattle raids. Earlier this month, the head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Anita Kiki Gbeho, expressed concerns over the cycle of communal violence in places such as Warrap.
Reference
Al Jazeera, “Armed raid on cattle camp kills at least 49 in South Sudan,” published August 28, 2026. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/28/armed-raid-on-cattle-camp-kills-at-least-49-in-south-sudan