SUMMARY

Clashes between the Agar Dinka and the Gok Dinka originated from disputes over water and pasture for their herds, prompted by a prolonged drought which forced cattle herders to use pastures normally not normally used by them, leading to conflict.

Further, the leadership of both Agar and Gok communities claims, in an open letter sent to various authorities in South Sudan, that the districtual officials, led by Brigadier John Lat Zecharia further flamed the conflict through various acts of corruption leading to extra-judicial summary decisions unfairly favoring one community over the other. According to this letter, these decisions presumably concerned sensitive issues, such as taxes and cattle ownership, and apparently legitimized illegal behavior, forcing the two communities to take law into their own hands, leading to a series of clashes.

The non-state conflict between the Agar Dinka and the Gok Dinka was first included in UCDP data in 2006. In July of that year, clashes between the two groups had resulted in more than 25 battle-related deaths.