Khartoum, Sudan - Hundreds of civilians were killed in inter-tribal clashes in South Sudan over cattle ownership and the UN has complained that the clashes were the major threat to the newly-independent South Sudan state, the UN-run Radio Miraya, reporting from the South, said.

'At least 3,000 people have so far been killed in inter-ethnic conflicts in Jonglei State,' South Sudan, Radio Miraya quoted the State Governor, Hussein Maar Nyout as saying.

It described Jonglei State as a place with frequent inter-tribal clashes, often sparked by cattle raids, where cattle is key to food security and to marriage arrangements.

It said Nyout spoke during a forum in Juba, stating that the number of people killed this year was much higher, compared to the 300 people that were killed in inter-tribal conflicts last year. 'Inter-tribal conflicts have been more intense this year,' he said.

In August, armed groups, allegedly from the Murle tribe, attacked three payams in Muotot, Peiri and Pulchuol of Wuror county, killing about 600 people, burning 2,000 houses and stealing 3,000 heads of cattle.

The Jonglei State Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Gabriel Gai Riem, told reporters the inadequate number of police in the state makes it difficult for the authorities to protect civilians.

The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General in South Sudan, Hilde Johnson, has, meanwhile, called on the international community to provide resources to ease the transition of South Sudan to a stable democracy.

Addressing the UN Security Council via a video conference from Juba on Tuesday, Johnson said there was an urgent need to professionalise the new country’s security services.

Johnson also noted that Jonglei State remained a challenge for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.

“The most significant threat to civilians during reporting period was faced in Jonglei State,” Johnson was quoted as telling the Security Council on Tuesday.

The South Sudan Representative at the United Nations, David Machoat, said the government was concerned over the security situation in Jonglei and Unity states.

Machoat told the UN Security Council the government of South Sudan was talking to armed groups in an effort to bring about negotiated settlements and reintegration into the national army.

He, however, said that some of the groups rejected the amnesty announced by the president in July, noting that the Government of South Sudan would redouble its efforts to resolve the internal conflicts.

Pana 17/11/2011