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South Sudan horror at deadly cattle vendetta

Article by BBC which talks about the role and meaning of the cattle in the internal conflicts in South Sudan.

" ... Cattle lie at the heart of a long-standing enmity between the two communities.

In a country without banks, cows represent wealth, a dowry, property and a source of food in the lean season. A single cow can be worth hundreds of dollars depending on its colouring.

The Murle and Lou Nuer have long raided each other's cattle, or battled over access to grazing land and water but the conflicts have turned increasingly deadly with the arrival of automatic weapons.

Koko Alan escaped alive but is distraught after 500 of his prized cows were stolen..."