Cattle raiders in South Sudan on what drives them

[John Ashworth]

Attached please find a report from PAX entitled "Between Pride and
Shame: Cattle raiders in South Sudan on what drives them and how peace
can be achieved" by rin Bijl & Anton Quist, May 2026.

Abstract

The report 'Between pride and shame' explores cattle raiding drivers
and trends in the Lakes and Unity States' border area in South Sudan.
It is based on interviews with cattle keepers, many of whom have
themselves engaged in raids. These practices and their resulting
intercommunal tensions challenge existing peacebuilding efforts
between the communities along the border. Through this report, PAX has
sought to map the drivers of conflict, the personal motivations of
armed youth to participate in raids, and respondents' views on where
conflict resolution mechanisms fall short and what adaptations are
needed.

In November and December 2025, PAX interviewed over twenty cattle camp
inhabitants in Lakes and Unity States on escalating violence related
to cattle raiding. Over half of these respondents had direct
experience with participation in one or more cattle raids. While often
considered a 'spoiler' for local peace agreements, armed youth and
cattle raiders are rarely engaged with directly because of access
issues and their reputation, among other things. With this research
PAX has sought out their perspectives directly, to better understand
what drives them, but also to create more awareness and ownership of
local peace processes among these actors.

https://protectionofcivilians.org/report/cattle-raiding-in-south-sudan/

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