( CNN ) -- At least 37 people were killed during a shootout at a meeting to resolve cattle disputes in South Sudan , officials said Saturday , the latest in a spate of violence in the world 's newest nation . One U.N. officer was wounded during the meeting at Unity state , which was attended by several staff members of the world body , according to Kouider Zerrouk , a spokesman for the U.N. mission in Juba . Seven U.N. staff members and three local officials traveled to Mayendit County to investigate a wave of violence from cattle raiding on the borders of Unity and Warrap states . During the meeting Wednesday , the county commissioner from neighboring Lake state appeared and interrupted the meeting , yelling angry remarks at his Mayendit county counterpart , the spokesman said . The shooting followed soon after . `` Four pick-up trucks carrying armed men believed to be the SPLA ( South Sudan army ) and SSPS ( South Sudan police service ) then appeared and started shooting indiscriminately at the Mayendit county commissioner 's compound , '' Zerrouk said . A local official said it was unclear why the Lake state official had an armed convoy . `` We are asking ourselves why the county commissioner would come with such a heavily armed convoy , '' said Gideon Gatpan Thor , the minister of information for Unity state . `` He was uninvited , so we are still asking him to answer these questions . We want to know what his intentions were . '' The clashes killed at least 16 people from Unity and 21 from Lake , including six civilians from both states , the minister of information said . The U.N. officer injured in the attack is in stable condition at a hospital in Juba , South Sudan 's capital . `` It appears that the U.N. team was not the target of the attack but were at the wrong place at the wrong time and were caught up in the incident , '' the minister of information said . The meeting was initiated after a violent cattle raid four days earlier in Warrap state . The attackers , believed to be from Unity state , stole thousands of cattle and killed 74 people . Most were women and children . The latest clashes come after a particularly violent month of cattle raids in Jonglei state . In late December , officials in the town of Pibor said more than 3,000 were killed in cattle raids after 6,000 armed youths from the Lou Nuer tribe attacked the Murle people . The U.N. said the number is more likely in the hundreds , but it said 120,000 were affected and in need of immediate assistance . Weeks later , the Murle attacked the Lou Nuer people in retaliation and killed more than 100 people in two separate attacks . The main purpose behind the raids is to steal cattle , a livelihood for the people who live in the barren regions , but the violent clashes end with killings and child abductions . The victims are largely defenseless women and children . In a country struggling with violence six months into its independence , and recovering from decades of civil war , weapons have flown freely into the hands of cattle raiders . What used to be rural-style attacks , with sticks and arrows , have been replaced by automatic weapons , killing thousands and displacing even more .
It is the latest violence in the world 's newest nation . One U.N. officer is wounded during the meeting at Unity state . ` Score: 6