By Yang Ater Yang
At least two people have been killed, four others wounded, and over sixty cattle raided in Rumbek Central County of Lakes State by rustlers.
Lakes State police spokesperson, Maj. Elijah Mabor Makuac, said suspected armed youth from neighboring Panyijar County of Unity State were responsible for the attack.
The incident occurred in Amol cattle camp of Amongpiny, on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.
“During the pursuit, they killed one person among the cattle owners, and the raiders proceeded with the cattle,” a police spokesperson narrated.
He said when information on the attack spread, the cattle keepers who were camping around the area tried to withdraw their cattle to a place called Majok and Maker.
“Unfortunately, the attackers had already laid an ambush ahead, and the cattle fell into their hands, and they managed to raid a huge number of cattle, and they went away,” Maj. Mabor added,
He said the raided cattle belonged to various communities in Lakes State, including people from Nieniel of Rumbek North, Rumbek Central, Rumbek East, and Yirol East counties.
However, the state police commissioner noted that the cattle keepers pursued the raiders up to the border on Sunday morning, where they clashed and recovered a few of the stolen cattle.
Meanwhile, an eyewitness account gives a figure of two cattle owners killed, four others wounded while about 10 bodies were reportedly seen, after the fighting.
“We are yet to get more information about the cattle raided from all the communities as the youth returns” the police spokesperson stated, though the preliminary report suggested about 60 cattle were lost.
“The cattle have an additional number of calves, in which became victims of being left behind after their mothers were raided, and if you sum them up, the total of cattle lost can be 80 cattle,” he added.
Amongpiny Payam community appeals to Lakes State government and peace partners to look into cases of cattle raids by alleged armed youth from neighboring Unity State.
A member of a regional court in Amongpiny Payam of Rumbek Central County, Mr. Machot Kedit observed the raid and killing by suspected Panyijiar armed youth comes a month after a peace dialogue.
“We have been expecting peaceful co-existence through a dialogue held with them,” Mr. Kedit lamented, calling on the government to intervene in the matter.
Mr. Kedit contemplates the reason, the people his community hosted for years have turned hostile to raid and kill.
We don’t have a problem with them. We do accommodate them, we give them food; we don’t go for cattle raids; we are brothers and they are neighbors,” he hinted.
He said there is need for peaceful co-existence.