By Philip Buda Ladu
An eleventh-month-old pregnant woman in Kajo-Keji County has survived attempted rape by an armed herder on Monday 29th March 2021. Victoria Kutyang, a 21-year-old was at home preparing groundnuts for paste when the armed herder attempted to rape her in her own bedroom. “I was sweltering (toasting) my groundnuts for paste with my attention on the stove. I heard a person saying hello when, I turned around I show an armed herder, he greeted me and I answered. He asked whether I speak Arabic I said no,” she narrated to No. 1 Citizen Daily Newspaper in a phone interview.
She said the person picked a cup from a drying stand and poured some drinking water for himself and drunk it. “He then sat on a stool but I was busy with my work. He rolled a marijuana, lit it and smoke then moved closer to me. He asked where was my husband and I told him that my husband was in the neighborhood,” Victoria said. She said the man then told her in Arabic that he wanted to have sex with her. “I kept quiet. He insisted and asked me to get up and go inside. I refused then he pulled me by my hand he tried to throw me down but I was strong then he hit me with his gun,” the woman narrated. “He cocked the gun threatening me then he put down the gun and started to wrestle with me but l overpowered him I threw him away and I ran screaming for help that is where he disappeared,” Victoria narrated the incident in her native Bari language. Victoria said when her neighbors ran to her rescue the attacker had already vanished.
Erasto Kenyi Commissioner of Kajo-Keji County told No. 1 Citizen Daily Newspaper on phone yesterday Friday 2nd April 2021 that the security situations have not changed as cattle keepers were still present in the area. “As you are aware of their behaviors. The behaviors remain the same; attempted rapes, the rape itself had happened, killings had happened, looting of the indigenous cattle are ongoing, destruction of the farmlands is ongoing, threatening people is ongoing I think you are aware of all these, nothing has changed,” Kenyi stressed.
The Commissioner said since he got into office he had received report about one incident of killing that claimed lives of 8 people in Sokare, three attempted rape cases reported, destruction of crops reported five times, threats and beating of locals reported twice and three reported cases of looting. The latest attempted rape case was reported in Gaderu Boma of Nyepo Payam, Kajo-Keji county of Central Equatoria State on Monday (29th March 2021) in which a 21-year-old pregnant woman narrowly escaped being raped by an armed cattle keeper at her home.
Acting Executive Director of Nyepo Payam, Mr. Bela Benson Azaria confirmed to No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper on Wednesday 31st March 2021 that an armed cattle herder attempted to rape a 21-year-old woman at her home in Gaderu Boma of Nyepo payam, “There was a case of attempted rape on 29.03.2021, a woman of 21 years old called Victoria Kutyang was attempted to be raped by an armed cattle keeper. She survived narrowly when she was able to push the attacker down and managed to run. The attacker wanted to shot at her but it was too late as she had already fled,” Benson said.
He said the survivor was taken to Kansuk primary healthcare center for some medical attention after she experienced some body pain as she was hit by a gun around her kidneys in due course of fighting for her life. “This is the first case concerning rape but there are some cases like the violence they are creating within the payam. They sometimes shoot bullets especially at night, they move with guns to loot people’s properties, a lot of things are happening,” Bela alarmed.
Lemi Picos a Nurse at Kansuk primary healthcare center confirmed receiving the attempted rape survivor who he said is 11 months pregnant. The nurse said medical wise there is no much injury inflicted on her like bleeding or any wound. Picos said they decided to put her on some antibiotics and some pain killers’ treatment only because of the pain she had. On Wednesday 31st March 2021, Kajo-Keji Youth Association (KKYA) petitioned Central Equatoria State governor Emmanuel Adil Anthony, demanding the cattle keepers to leave the area within 30 days.
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