At least 10 people were killed, including two security personnel, and 14 others wounded in a deadly cattle raid at Mogiri cattle market, in Mangala Payam of Central Equatoria State.
As confirmed by authorities on Wednesday, the attack, which occurred between 7:00 and 11:00 PM on Tuesday, targeted Murle cattle traders from the Greater PiborAdministrative Area (GPAA), who had transported over 5,000 cattle for sale in the area.
A joint government protection force comprising the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF), police and national security was deployed to guard the market but came under heavy attack from armed assailants believed to be armed youth from neighboring Bor county of Jonglei State.
Maj. Gen. James Monday Enoka, spokesperson for the South Sudan National Police Service, told AFP that the attack resulted in 24 casualties—10 killed, including two security personnel, and 14 others wounded.
Among the security forces, one SSPDF soldier and one national security officer were killed, while three other forces sustained injuries.
On the civilian side, six Murle traders were killed and six injured. Additionally, two armed attackers from the Bor community were confirmed dead and five others wounded.
“The attackers ambushed the security forces guarding the traders and made away with an unknown number of cattle, though early estimates suggest more than 3,000 were stolen,” said Maj. Gen. Enoka.
The incident has sparked widespread condemnation and fears of renewed inter-communal tensions between the Murle community of GPAA and youth from Bor in Jonglei State.
Maj. Gen. Enoka said Preliminary investigations he received this morning suggest that the attackers may have been youth from Bor County, possibly joined by Nuer elements, claiming ownership of some of the cattle brought to the market.
According to police reports, the alleged attackers said the cows had been stolen from Bor and were now being sold by Murle traders.
“What happened is wrong. They should have opened a criminal case and followed the legal process. Taking the law into their own hands has cost lives and property,” said Maj. Gen. Enoka stated.
H.E. Gola Boyoi Gola, Chief Administrator of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, in a statement described the attack as a brutal and well-orchestrated assault by a criminal group allegedly operating under the name “Red Belt” from Jonglei State.
“This reprehensible act of violence reflects a grave disregard for human life and complicates the peace that our communities in GPAA and Jonglei strive to build,” said Gola.
“We call on the national government to act swiftly to bring the perpetrators to justice and recover the stolen cattle.”
Gola added that such incidents discourage peaceful alternatives to cattle raiding, including trade and economic engagement.
“These traders were part of our youth whom we encouraged to sell cattle rather than raid. But now they have been targeted, killed, and robbed. If this continues, the peace process will be jeopardized,” he warned.
Authorities say the situation is now under control, and a criminal case has been opened at the Gumbo Sherikat Police Station. Security forces are reportedly in hot pursuit of the attackers, who are believed to be fleeing toward Bor.
“Our officers are still in the field. The pursuit is ongoing. We are verifying the identities and tracking the movement of the stolen cattle,” said Gen. Enoka.
The deadly incident in Mogiri highlights the persistent broader challenges South Sudan continues to face in securing trade routes and protecting communities in the post-conflict recovery period.
Meanwhile, a civil society activist and the executive director of Intrepid South Sudan (ISS), in Jonglei State, Mr. Deng BolDeng also weighed in saying
“We strongly condemn this act of violence against the traders who were going about their routine business and also convey our heartfelt sympathies to those who might have been affected.”
He said the incident underscores the need for stronger law enforcement, disarmament of civilians, and sustainable mechanisms for resolving cattle ownership disputes.
