Weak rays of early morning sun seep through the smoke rising from smouldering piles of dried dung, keeping flies away from the precious cattle.

Children instinctively reach down for the white ash, a natural mosquito repellent, and rub it on their skin as women set to milking and men prepare for a long day seeking pasture at the peak of the dry season.

The passing of centuries seems to have changed little in the ebb and flow of life for herders in remote<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bush-fire-guts-four-villages-in-south-sudan-kills-33-216665"> South Sudan</a>, whose cattle serve as a bank account and play a core role in every aspect of life.

There has, however, been one devastating shift.

Instead of their traditional spears, cowherds now carry automatic rifles that have transformed cattle raids, a generations-old phenomenon, into massacres that have unleashed brutal cycles of vengeance.

"It is good to have a weapon because it helps you to protect the cattle," said Puk Duoth, 25, a header from a camp outside the northeastern village of Udier.

While South Sudan's elites signed a power-sharing truce in September 2018, cattle raids have worsened, highlighting the herculean task required to resolve local conflicts in a society shattered by war.&nbsp;

According to the UN peacekeeping mission UNMISS, 218 members of herder communities were killed in January in tit-for-tat attacks -- almost three times the toll of 73 in the four months from October 2017 to January 2018.&nbsp;

Observers blame a deadly cocktail of factors for the rising body count: a breakdown of law and order in the war-torn nation, an influx of guns and inflation in the bride price -- paid in cattle.

Cash cows&nbsp;

In these parts, cows are everything.

In the culture of the Nuer and Dinka peoples -- South Sudan's largest herder communities -- boys are named after a favoured bull, and songs are written to glorify the long-horned beasts.

"If you are sick, then the cow can be sold and the money used for treatment," says Beny Chuer, a Dinka chief from Amazing camp outside the central city of Rumbek -- one of the areas worst affected by raids and revenge killings.

"If a mother dies leaving a small baby, that child will live because a cow will be milked to feed it."

Cattle is currency -- each head worth about $500 (440 euros). The more a man owns, the more admiration he garners.

"If you are sitting in a community meeting and you are talking rubbish, but people know you have many cows, you will be honoured," said Peter Machar, of the NGO Saferworld working on local conflicts.

In his 1940 study of the Nuer people, British anthropologist Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard found this single-minded preoccupation frustrating in his research efforts.

"I used sometimes to despair that I never discussed anything with the young men but livestock and girls and even the subject of girls led inevitably to that of cattle," he wrote.

&nbsp;Costly brides, rampant guns&nbsp;

"For us, a cow is the source of money," said chief Chuer, well over two metres (6 feet, 7 inches) tall -- a genetic legacy perhaps of tall women being viewed as more valuable in herder communities.

He boasts that his tallest daughter earned him a whopping 250 cows.

This is part of the cause of conflict, said Peter Machar's colleague Majok Mon, his own first name a Dinka word for the markings on a bull.

Bride prices soared as donor money poured into the country after independence from Sudan, allowing politicians, military men and the well-connected to enrich themselves and "get a lot of money" to pay for a wife, he said.

The average price went up from about 20 head of cattle to 100, in a country where the majority of people follow the tradition.

Suddenly, many young men could not afford to get married unless they raided cattle from other communities.

Guns flooded the country between the war for independence, achieved in 2011, and the internal conflict that erupted two years later as President Salva Kiir and rival Riek Machar fell out.

Both sides armed young herders and mobilised them to fight, said Peter Machar.

As any semblance of law and order collapsed, the warring also destroyed traditional systems, managed by tribal chiefs, for settling feuds.

"What brought the issue of cattle raids is the gun... if you don't have a gun, then you will be monitored slowly, slowly until you are shot and your cows were taken, but if you have your gun, then you can shoot" in defence, said Chuer.

Out of control&nbsp;

While fighting has stopped in most of the country as a result of the peace deal, this has changed nothing for herder groups nursing long-standing grievances unrelated to the national tug of war for power.

And with the attention elsewhere, armed herders are launching increasingly deadly military-style attacks on rival camps, with women and children among the victims.

The reality in these remote communities "is very far from what is happening with the elites in Juba," United Nations special envoy David Shearer told AFP.

A report on the "militarisation" of cattle raiding in South Sudan, published last year in the Journal of International Humanitarian Action, warned that leaders like Kiir and Riek Machar, "has undermined the traditional mechanisms that once governed violence in order to further their individual political interests, no longer have control over these raiders either."

All these factors bode ill for prospects of peace in a country whose youth has known nothing but conflict.

Weak rays of early morning sun seep through the smoke rising from smouldering piles of dried dung, keeping flies away from the precious cattle. Children instinctively reach down for the white ash, a natural mosquito repellent, and rub it on their skin as women set to milking and men prepare for a long day seeking pasture at the peak of the dry season.

Weak rays of early morning sun seep through the smoke rising from smouldering piles of dried dung, keeping flies away from the precious cattle. Children instinctively reach down for the white ash, a natural mosquito repellent, and rub it on their skin as women set to milking and men prepare for a long day seeking pasture at the peak of the dry season. The passing of centuries seems to have changed little in the ebb and flow of life for herders in remote South Sudan, whose cattle serve as a bank account and play a core role in every aspect of life. There has, however, been one devastating shift. Instead of their traditional spears, cowherds now carry automatic rifles that have transformed cattle raids, a generations-old phenomenon, into massacres that have unleashed brutal cycles of vengeance. "It is good to have a weapon because it helps you to protect the cattle," said Puk Duoth, 25, a header from a camp outside the northeastern village of Udier. While South Sudan's elites signed a power-sharing truce in September 2018, cattle raids have worsened, highlighting the herculean task required to resolve local conflicts in a society shattered by war. According to the UN peacekeeping mission UNMISS, 218 members of herder communities were killed in January in tit-for-tat attacks -- almost three times the toll of 73 in the four months from October 2017 to January 2018. Observers blame a deadly cocktail of factors for the rising body count: a breakdown of law and order in the war-torn nation, an influx of guns and inflation in the bride price -- paid in cattle. Cash cows In these parts, cows are everything. In the culture of the Nuer and Dinka peoples -- South Sudan's largest herder communities -- boys are named after a favoured bull, and songs are written to glorify the long-horned beasts. "If you are sick, then the cow can be sold and the money used for treatment," says Beny Chuer, a Dinka chief from Amazing camp outside the central city of Rumbek -- one of the areas worst affected by raids and revenge killings. "If a mother dies leaving a small baby, that child will live because a cow will be milked to feed it." Cattle is currency -- each head worth about $500 (440 euros). The more a man owns, the more admiration he garners. "If you are sitting in a community meeting and you are talking rubbish, but people know you have many cows, you will be honoured," said Peter Machar, of the NGO Saferworld working on local conflicts. In his 1940 study of the Nuer people, British anthropologist Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard found this single-minded preoccupation frustrating in his research efforts. "I used sometimes to despair that I never discussed anything with the young men but livestock and girls and even the subject of girls led inevitably to that of cattle," he wrote. Costly brides, rampant guns "For us, a cow is the source of money," said chief Chuer, well over two metres (6 feet, 7 inches) tall -- a genetic legacy perhaps of tall women being viewed as more valuable in herder communities. He boasts that his tallest daughter earned him a whopping 250 cows. This is part of the cause of conflict, said Peter Machar's colleague Majok Mon, his own first name a Dinka word for the markings on a bull. Bride prices soared as donor money poured into the country after independence from Sudan, allowing politicians, military men and the well-connected to enrich themselves and "get a lot of money" to pay for a wife, he said. The average price went up from about 20 head of cattle to 100, in a country where the majority of people follow the tradition. Suddenly, many young men could not afford to get married unless they raided cattle from other communities. Guns flooded the country between the war for independence, achieved in 2011, and the internal conflict that erupted two years later as President Salva Kiir and rival Riek Machar fell out. Both sides armed young herders and mobilised them to fight, said Peter Machar. As any semblance of law and order collapsed, the warring also destroyed traditional systems, managed by tribal chiefs, for settling feuds. "What brought the issue of cattle raids is the gun... if you don't have a gun, then you will be monitored slowly, slowly until you are shot and your cows were taken, but if you have your gun, then you can shoot" in defence, said Chuer. Out of control While fighting has stopped in most of the country as a result of the peace deal, this has changed nothing for herder groups nursing long-standing grievances unrelated to the national tug of war for power. And with the attention elsewhere, armed herders are launching increasingly deadly military-style attacks on rival camps, with women and children among the victims. The reality in these remote communities "is very far from what is happening with the elites in Juba," United Nations special envoy David Shearer told AFP. A report on the "militarisation" of cattle raiding in South Sudan, published last year in the Journal of International Humanitarian Action, warned that leaders like Kiir and Riek Machar, "has undermined the traditional mechanisms that once governed violence in order to further their individual political interests, no longer have control over these raiders either." All these factors bode ill for prospects of peace in a country whose youth has known nothing but conflict.

Money, guns and brides fuel South Sudan's cattle wars

South Sudan&#39;s government on Wednesday was forced to deny President Salva Kiir had died, following days of rumours over his health that have heightened tensions in the capital Juba.

&quot;This is a mere lie, there is nothing as such, Salva Kiir has not even been sick,&quot; information minister Michael Makuei Lueth told journalists in Juba, slamming &quot;wild rumours&quot; he said aimed to divide the people of South Sudan.

The rumours have been doing the rounds on Twitter, and even spread as far as Uganda where Kiir, 65, was reported to have fled for medical treatment.

Residents of Juba reported a higher than usual presence of soldiers on the streets, as the rumours coincided with mounting concerns over an uptick in violence in the troubled nation in recent weeks.

&quot;We are scared of the situation. You cannot know what is exactly happening but (there are) rumours that the president has died. Well, it is said fighting may break out and this is why I am scared,&quot; said Moses Modi, a resident of Juba who was staying home over security fears.

Another Juba resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, reported that some schools had sent pupils back home.

&quot;There are soldiers deployed along the road. Mainly the roads around the ministries and the State House ... I am at work but leaving (for) home now. Because the tension is high,&quot; she added.

South Sudan, which gained independence in July 2011, descended into war just two and a half years later when Kiir in December 2013 accused his former deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup.

Numerous attempts to shore up a fragile truce failed, and in a major setback to peace efforts, fierce clashes erupted in Juba on July 8 this year between Kiir&#39;s guards and troops loyal to Machar.

The international community has expressed deep concerns over a spread in violence since the July clashes, which pushed the number of refugees from the war-scarred nation past the one-million mark, according to the UNHCR.

In a further blow to peace hopes, Machar last month urged &quot;a popular armed resistance&quot; against his rival&#39;s government.

Machar, who fled to Khartoum in the July fighting, on Wednesday left for South Africa for medical tests.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on Wednesday said it was &quot;extremely concerned over increased reports of violence and armed conflict in various parts of the country in the last few weeks.&quot;

In the town of Leer, in the north, UNMISS forces reported heavy artillery and gunfire exchanges between forces loyal to Kiir and Machar, leading to an unspecified number of deaths and sending local populations fleeing.

In a statement, UNMISS said it had been denied access to an area where some 21 civilians were reportedly killed in an ambush on the road between Juba and the southern city of Yei over the weekend.

(AFP)

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan expressed concern over 'increased reports of violence and armed conflict in the past few weeks'

South Sudan's government on Wednesday was forced to deny President Salva Kiir had died, following days of rumours over his health that have heightened tensions in the capital Juba. "This is a mere lie, there is nothing as such, Salva Kiir has not even been sick," information minister Michael Makuei Lueth told journalists in Juba, slamming "wild rumours" he said aimed to divide the people of South Sudan. The rumours have been doing the rounds on Twitter, and even spread as far as Uganda where Kiir, 65, was reported to have fled for medical treatment. Residents of Juba reported a higher than usual presence of soldiers on the streets, as the rumours coincided with mounting concerns over an uptick in violence in the troubled nation in recent weeks. "We are scared of the situation. You cannot know what is exactly happening but (there are) rumours that the president has died. Well, it is said fighting may break out and this is why I am scared," said Moses Modi, a resident of Juba who was staying home over security fears. Another Juba resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, reported that some schools had sent pupils back home. "There are soldiers deployed along the road. Mainly the roads around the ministries and the State House ... I am at work but leaving (for) home now. Because the tension is high," she added. South Sudan, which gained independence in July 2011, descended into war just two and a half years later when Kiir in December 2013 accused his former deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup. Numerous attempts to shore up a fragile truce failed, and in a major setback to peace efforts, fierce clashes erupted in Juba on July 8 this year between Kiir's guards and troops loyal to Machar. The international community has expressed deep concerns over a spread in violence since the July clashes, which pushed the number of refugees from the war-scarred nation past the one-million mark, according to the UNHCR. In a further blow to peace hopes, Machar last month urged "a popular armed resistance" against his rival's government. Machar, who fled to Khartoum in the July fighting, on Wednesday left for South Africa for medical tests. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on Wednesday said it was "extremely concerned over increased reports of violence and armed conflict in various parts of the country in the last few weeks." In the town of Leer, in the north, UNMISS forces reported heavy artillery and gunfire exchanges between forces loyal to Kiir and Machar, leading to an unspecified number of deaths and sending local populations fleeing. In a statement, UNMISS said it had been denied access to an area where some 21 civilians were reportedly killed in an ambush on the road between Juba and the southern city of Yei over the weekend. (AFP)

Tensions mount in South Sudan after Kiir death rumours

South Sudan&#39;s vice president has withdrawn with his troops to outside of Juba but is not planning for war, his spokesman said on Wednesday, as a ceasefire that ended heavy fighting with the president&#39;s forces entered its third day. 
 
Forces loyal to longtime rivals Vice President Riek Machar&#39;s forces and President Salva Kiir fought street battles in the capital during a five-day period until a ceasefire was reached on Monday. 
 
The events mirror those of December 2013, when a two-year civil war began after Machar, sacked from his post as Kiir&#39;s deputy, withdrew his forces from Juba and launched a full-scale insurgency. 
 
&quot;We had to move away from our base (in Juba) to avoid further confrontation,&quot; Machar&#39;s spokesman James Gatdet Dak in Nairobi told Reuters, saying he was in contact with Machar&#39;s forces. &quot;He is around the capital. I cannot say the location.&quot; 
 
It was not clear what caused the latest rift between the two men who have long jostled for power, even before South Sudan&#39;s independence from Sudan in 2011. The flare-up was apparently sparked on Thursday when Kiir&#39;s forces stopped and demanded to search vehicles with Machar&#39;s troops. 
 
Gatdet Dak said Machar would stay away from Juba until ceasefire details were worked out. 
 
&quot;He is not returning to the bush, nor is he organising for war,&quot; the spokesman said, calling for an outside force to be deployed to act as a &quot;buffer&quot; between Machar and Kiir&#39;s forces. 
 
Other demands from Machar&#39;s side are to implement a joint command, an integrated armed force and a joint police force securing Juba, all issues laid out in a peace deal but not yet implemented, said Gatdet Dak. 
 
In another apparent parallel with 2013, Uganda said it was sending troops to South Sudan but this time they would only help evacuate Ugandans, Uganda government spokesman Ofwono Opondo said. In 2013, they had entered at Kiir&#39;s invitation to support his government as well as help with evacuation, Opondo said. 
 
The fighting has left many South Sudanese angry and uncertain. 
 
&quot;Both Kiir and Machar should be held responsible for the killing of their own people, and for their soldiers who looted our property and killed my husband,&quot; said a tearful Juba resident Rose Juru, 28. 
 
Kiir and Machar signed the peace deal in August 2015, but spent months arguing over details. Machar returned to Juba in April and was reinstated as Kiir&#39;s deputy, a move that was meant to help cement the process. 
 
Regional African states have suggested sending in forces to beef up the UN mission UNMISS with a tougher mandate to enforce peace, instead of a narrow focus to protect civilians. 
 
Gatdet Dak said Kiir&#39;s helicopter gunships had pursued Machar&#39;s forces and attacked Machar&#39;s residence in his compound in Juba on Tuesday, although he said Machar had left Juba by that time. 
 
The president&#39;s spokesman and other officials in Kiir&#39;s SPLA army could not immediately be reached for comment. They previously said they were committed to upholding the ceasefire, implementing the peace agreement and working with Machar. 
 
(Reuters)

The events mirror those of Dec 2013 when the VP, sacked from his post, moved out of the capital and began a 2-year civil war with his boss

South Sudan's vice president has withdrawn with his troops to outside of Juba but is not planning for war, his spokesman said on Wednesday, as a ceasefire that ended heavy fighting with the president's forces entered its third day. Forces loyal to longtime rivals Vice President Riek Machar's forces and President Salva Kiir fought street battles in the capital during a five-day period until a ceasefire was reached on Monday. The events mirror those of December 2013, when a two-year civil war began after Machar, sacked from his post as Kiir's deputy, withdrew his forces from Juba and launched a full-scale insurgency. "We had to move away from our base (in Juba) to avoid further confrontation," Machar's spokesman James Gatdet Dak in Nairobi told Reuters, saying he was in contact with Machar's forces. "He is around the capital. I cannot say the location." It was not clear what caused the latest rift between the two men who have long jostled for power, even before South Sudan's independence from Sudan in 2011. The flare-up was apparently sparked on Thursday when Kiir's forces stopped and demanded to search vehicles with Machar's troops. Gatdet Dak said Machar would stay away from Juba until ceasefire details were worked out. "He is not returning to the bush, nor is he organising for war," the spokesman said, calling for an outside force to be deployed to act as a "buffer" between Machar and Kiir's forces. Other demands from Machar's side are to implement a joint command, an integrated armed force and a joint police force securing Juba, all issues laid out in a peace deal but not yet implemented, said Gatdet Dak. In another apparent parallel with 2013, Uganda said it was sending troops to South Sudan but this time they would only help evacuate Ugandans, Uganda government spokesman Ofwono Opondo said. In 2013, they had entered at Kiir's invitation to support his government as well as help with evacuation, Opondo said. The fighting has left many South Sudanese angry and uncertain. "Both Kiir and Machar should be held responsible for the killing of their own people, and for their soldiers who looted our property and killed my husband," said a tearful Juba resident Rose Juru, 28. Kiir and Machar signed the peace deal in August 2015, but spent months arguing over details. Machar returned to Juba in April and was reinstated as Kiir's deputy, a move that was meant to help cement the process. Regional African states have suggested sending in forces to beef up the UN mission UNMISS with a tougher mandate to enforce peace, instead of a narrow focus to protect civilians. Gatdet Dak said Kiir's helicopter gunships had pursued Machar's forces and attacked Machar's residence in his compound in Juba on Tuesday, although he said Machar had left Juba by that time. The president's spokesman and other officials in Kiir's SPLA army could not immediately be reached for comment. They previously said they were committed to upholding the ceasefire, implementing the peace agreement and working with Machar. (Reuters)

South Sudan vice president withdraws from capital Juba, but is not 'organising for war'

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