At least 11 people have been arrested in Panyijiar County of South Sudan’s Unity State in connection to last week’s cattle raid in neighboring Lakes state, authorities there said.
Panyijiar County Commissioner Gabriel Majok Bol told Radio Tamazuj over the weekend that the suspected criminals from his county are in police custody and that some cattle have been recovered.
“The authorities in Panyinjinar County collected 16 cows from the hands of the criminals. They are now in the headquarters and now we remain with 26 cows because the total number of cows raided is 42, which was brought from Lakes state,” he said.
“These 11 people who went and attacked Lakes State will not be released soon because they are creating problems among the communities of Panyijiar and Lakes State,” commissioner Majok noted.
Commissioner Majok revealed that investigations will be carried out once all the youths involved in the raid are arrested.
He noted that the police have identified the youth as criminals causing insecurity between Unity and Lakes States and they will be apprehended.
“The details of the investigation will come when we arrest all the remaining 39 armed youth that are linked to attacks in Lakes State. Now we have identified those who are creating insecurity among the two states, Unity and Lakes State,” he said. “We are still looking for them to arrest them and investigate why they are creating insecurity among the two sister communities.”