By Ijoo Bosco
Local authorities in Lotukei Payam of Budi County, Eastern Equatoria State, have confirmed that three suspected raiders from Dodoth of Uganda and Turkana of Kenya were killed following a cattle raid in the area on Monday.
Authorities reported that three kraals have been raided and local youth continue to follow the attackers’ footprints.
This is the third time such coordinated raids have occurred in the area, with Turkana and Dodoth suspected of waging the attacks.
In June, Turkana and Dodoth youth allegedly raided over 100 cattle, they were intercepted, and the cattle returned in September.
Oreste Lopara, a lawmaker at the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (RTNLA) who hails from the area, said the raiders took hundreds of cattle.
“The raiders were coming from Uganda as they teamed up with their Kenyan Turkana counterpart on Sunday evening. They just came and attacked our people; they took off with over hundreds of cattle there,” the MP narrated.
“And they fought with the youth of the indigenous community the whole night, and they managed to kill three raiders: one is a Dodoth from Uganda, and the other two are Turkana from Kenya.”
Mr. Lopara cautioned the bordering community of Lotukei to always be on standby against their enemies, whom he claims are being reinforced by their government, according to the reports they are getting from the ground in Budi County.
He also noted that there is no information they have received so far from the youth who have been perusing the raiders, but he hopes that upon return, more details will be ascertained.
Meanwhile, Rino Lokure, the acting executive director in Budi County, confirmed the incident and said they are yet to communicate with their counterparts from Kaabong district over the incident.
“The people killed were one from Dodoth, a Ugandan from Kaabong district, and two Turkana of Kenya,” Lokure said.
Lokure said he has sent his payam administrator to investigate the incident, despite youths still engaging with raiders in Lotukei payam, Budi County.
The County Executive Director also acknowledged that they have been in peace with the sisterly communities of Dodoth of Uganda and Turkana of Kenya for quite a lengthy time and wonders what’s again triggering the raids.
He appealed to the two bordering local governments to develop a mutual understanding with the administration of Budi County and the administration in Kaabong, as well as Kenya’s Turkana County, to foster peaceful coexistence amongst themselves.