By Bida Elly David
The Lirya Payam of Juba County has made a promise to declare war against cattle herders following abduction of two children and murder of their father on Wednesday night according to local authorities.
The local authority pointed out that the government of Central Equatoria State has been weak in decision making pertaining matters to do with cattle invasion and atrocities.
Three days ago, a group of herders allegedly kidnapped two children and gunned down their father at Langabu boma of Lirya Payam.
Speaking to No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper yesterday, Christopher Sebit Arkangelo Lirya Payam administrator sadly blamed the state authority for having issued an order for the evacuation of herders off the payam without following it up.
Sebit said that the youth within the Boma tried their best to pursue the criminals for the sake of the progenies but they could not make it because it was night.
“At the mid-night of date 23th –Nov-2022, criminals entered Langabu Boma which is one of the Bomas of Lirya Payam lying South of Lirya. They abducted two children and killed their father. The father who was killed is called Wani Lepa and the abducted Children are Ikong Wani Lepa 13 years and Ingenge Wani Lepa 5 years old,” Sebit narrated the incident.
The local administer said “as an authority, we could not do anything because it was difficult to go to the field because of the badness of the roads”.
“The road from Lirya to Langabu is very bad. We cannot access it now because it is muddy. The incident happened at night and they could not go further,” he said.
Sebit slammed the state government over their weakness saying that in case no action will be taken to trace the perpetrators, the youth have promised to wage war against the herders by any means.
He revealed that the random attacks that have been causing loss of lives in Lirya and Ngangala were reportedly triggered by the same herders who were formerly told to vacate the land but currently basing without executing the command of the authority.
Furthermore he pointed out that the presence of the herders in the payam has planted fear to the inhabitants living at the vicinity as well as interrupted necessary preparations for the festive season.
He said that government has turned deaf ears to their letters concerning the insecurity and the poor roads in the payam and Langabu has become a center of abduction since 2009.
“Abductors have become security threats in our area here. We are calling on the government of Central Equatoria State to stop these people otherwise if they continue; this will even one day make us to go into war with them. Our people are ready,” he said.
However, access to reach the state government for more consultation has never materialized.