The War of Cattle in the country of Southern Sudan between the Tribes of Murle and Nuer

At least 600 people have reportedly died and unconfirmed reports indicate almost 1,000 others were wounded during clashes between the Murle and Lou Nuer communities in Jonglei, the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said in a press release.

The attacks have followed large-scale cattle raids – a persistent problem in South Sudan – by members of the two groups which have led to the theft of between 26,000 and 30,000 cattle.

Two months after cattle raiders stole his entire herd, Nyati Kelabo stalks around this desolate river town, sleeping under a tree, begging for food and worrying constantly about how he will feed his five children and two wives.

South Sudan became the world's newest country in July, amid high hopes that it would leave its violent past behind. A 2005 peace deal with the north ended a civil war and paved the way for January's independence referendum.

But the new country is already reeling from internal violence — often in the form of massive cattle raids — that is devastating communities in the vast swamplands of its eastern region.

In this Wednesday, July 13, 2011 photo, wearing a filthy polo shirt, ratty sandals made from old tires, and a distant, pained expression, Nyati Kelabo sits in the muddy black dirt under a tree where he said he had been sleeping since arriving in Pibor after escaping the raiding in his village, a day's walk from Pibor, South Sudan.