The Government of Eastern Equatoria on Wednesday confirmed that 90 women and children were abducted, 32 people killed and 22 others injured in last week’s deadly attack and cattle raid by armed youths from Greater Pibor in the Kauto area of Easter Equatoria State’s Kapoeta East County.

According to Elia John Ahaji, the state’s information minister, the Murle raiders also went away with an estimated 16,000 head of cattle and over 6,000 goats and sheep.

“The Murle cattle raiders encroached into the territory of Eastern Equatoria and attacked 8 cattle camps of which had 213 kraals and 34 stockades. Based on the assessment from the ground, the raiders went away with over 16,000 head of cattle and over 6,000 goats and sheep. This barbaric act amounted to the loss of 32 people who were killed, 22 wounded and 90 women and children abducted,” he said. “The state government condemns this tragic attack on its people in the strongest terms possible and calls upon the national government to intervene in rescuing the situation on the ground and further calls upon the Government of Greater Pibor Administrative Area to also work tirelessly in recovering the abducted children and women including the livestock because of the lives of these people depend on it.”

Minister Ahaji added: “The Government of Eastern Equatoria State would like to make a passionate appeal to the humanitarian partners for immediate response to help the vulnerable 1,308 households with an estimated population of 6,540, mostly women, children and the elderly, who are seriously affected and are in dire need of food assistance.”

On Tuesday, the authorities in Greater Pibor admitted that armed youths from their jurisdiction were responsible for the coordinated deadly attack on the Kauto area of Kapoeta East County.

The GPAA authorities asked for a month to investigate the matter and to return the abducted people and rustled livestock.

However, the Eastern Equatoria State Government demands that the abductees and livestock be returned immediately.

“There is no reason for delaying because the children and women are with them (Murle). What prevents them from returning even today or tomorrow?” Minister Ahaji stressed. “Even the animals are with them. What prevents them from tracing at least a certain number if they cannot bring all at the same time? Why can’t they bring some to build confidence? We appeal to them to urgently return these children, women, cattle, and goats.”