The Government of Lakes State has strongly denounced armed youth from the Pakam Section of Rumbek North County for a deadly cattle raid they orchestrated in Warrap State’s Tonj East County at the weekend.

The attack on Sunday afternoon in War-liet in Tonj East County’s Makuac Payam left 3 people killed, 6 others wounded, and over 900 head of cattle raided from the Luanyjang community.

Lakes State Information Minister Paul Cabiet Ayang told Radio Tamzuj on Monday that the state government strongly condemned the actions of the armed Pakam youth and that the perpetrators are being pursued, will be brought to book, and the rustled cattle returned to the owners.

“On Sunday, some of our cattle keepers from Rumbek North County went to Luanyjang land to raid some cattle. On their return to Rumbek North, they were being pursued by the cattle owners from the Launjang Community who did not find and stumbled on our military station in Maper and wanted to attack the barrack. They clashed with our security forces instead of the cattle raiders,” he said. “We condemn the armed youth from the Pakam Community, they are being pursued by the Government in Lakes State and we will return the cattle they raided back to the owners in the Luanyjang Community.”

According to Cabiet, there were some causalities recorded when the Luanyjang youth clashed with the army, and the situation is being investigated to get finer details.

The cattle owners lost the direction and ended military barracks which they attacked in an attempt to take some arms and bullets from our security forces. The soldiers and the cattle owners exchanged some bullets and then there were some causalities and some wounded,” he said. “The wounded soldiers and Launyjang cattle owners were evacuated to Rumbek State Hospital for treatment. We have not yet gathered enough details of how many people were killed and how many people were wounded but we are still investigating.”

Minister Cabiet said they do not know how many head of cattle were raided from the Luanyjang Community but that they are in communication with Warrap State authorities to get accurate figures.

When contacted, Warrap State Information Minister William Wol Mayom said that the rustlers from Pakam killed 3 people, injured 6 others, and raided 900 head of cattle from the Luanyjang community of Tonj East County.

“The situation is now calm and the commissioner of Tonj East County rushed to the scene to de-escalate tensions. However, none of the 900 cattle have been recovered. The owners of those cattle were defeated and the attackers went away with that number of cattle to the direction of Rumbek North County, “he explained. “During the dry season, people are scattered and graze from far-off places which is a challenge but the two state governments are working hard to address the issue. When the communities are convened for a dialogue between Lakes and Warrap states, the resolutions are going to be made and we are proposing that a road be constructed between Pakam and Launyjang so that the government can quell any intercommunal conflicts.”

According to Minister Wol, security forces are deployed along the border of the two states in Rumbek North, Romic, and Makuac but the local communities do not trust them

“There is no trust between the organized forces and civilians on both sides and the presence of illegal firearms in the hands of civilians has made law enforcement difficult,” he concluded.