By Ephraim Modi Duku Sokiri
Six people have been shot dead and one other sustained injuries in Lafon County of Eastern Equatoria State (EES) following an ambush laid by unknown gunmen.
Speaking on phone to No.1 Citizen yesterday, the County Commissioner, Hon. Mangisto Ukach confirmed the attack, saying the injured person was taken for medical care, in the county.
“It’s true. Six people lost their lives. Up to now, we don’t know the perpetrators. We only identified the victims being attacked. The one injured is now in the health facility,” said the County commissioner.
According to Lafon County Commissioner, health workers reported that the injuries were manageable if no other complications arise.
Commissioner Ukach said the victims were attacked while on their way back from farming in the outskirts of the county headquarter.
“The farmers were in a big group. They went for some agricultural activities and then having finished the work in the farm and on their way back home, they got themselves in the ambush,” Ukach said.
Ukac said the incident on Wednesday at around 11Am happened in the bush, saying it was not within the residential area, it would be easy for the government to apprehend the culprits.
He said no arrest has been made and the government needs to take time to establish the truth to trace foot marks of the assailants.
He said such incidences associated with cattle raiding had been occurring previously in the county prior to the recent attack.
“Well, these kinds of incidences are not new because the perpetrators come from within the county” the county commissioner stated.
He observed that despite attacks being common among cattle keeping communities, the uniqueness of the recent case was that the victims had no animals.
“It used to happen, especially with cattle theft but this is a unique one because the victims were not dragging any animals” Ukac noted.
Last year, tensions arose in Lafon between farming communities, nomadic herders, and cattle raiders where an integrated patrol from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) visited the area to engage the communities with the authorities.