Authorities in Warrap State said they have recovered and returned 60 cattle that were raided on Tuesday at Warmiir village in Jur River county, Western Bahr el Ghazal state.
“Four armed youth and two unarmed youth from Gogrial West county raided 60 cattle at Warmiir village in Jur River County, Western Bahr el Ghazal State, bordering Gogrial West county,” Victor Wek Koordit, Gogrial West County Commissioner, the told Radio Tamazuj
He added, “The raiders seized cattle along with a young shepherd, sparing his life. Upon hearing this, I immediately ordered the SSPDF forces to pursue the raiders. They successfully rescued the cattle at Ajak Agoor in Aguok area, particularly at Maluil Ajak village. The thieves fled empty-handed as four were armed, and two were unarmed according to the shepherd. The SSPDF soldiers rescued the cattle.”
Wek clarified that the 60 cattle belonged to individuals from Kuac, Aguok, and one resident from Jur River County in Western Bahr el Ghazal State. He stated, “These cattle were returned to their rightful owners yesterday, Wednesday. One person was from Jur River County in Wau, and the rest belonged to individuals from Kuac and Aguok in Gogrial West County. Acting Governor Aluel Garang witnessed the handover and personally returned the cattle to the owners.”
Meanwhile, William Wol Mayom, Warrap State Minister for Information and official spokesperson, said: “Yes, the incident took place on January 9 this year in a place called Warmiir village. The raiders belong to the Aguok community. Two cattle owners from Kuac and one civilian cattle owner from Western Bahr el Ghazal were the ones affected during the raid. Upon hearing this, the Warrap state government, in collaboration with the local government, dispatched security forces to apprehend all 60 raided cattle.”
Wol further mentioned that the raiders are actively being pursued and will face legal consequences once captured. “Yesterday (Wednesday) the state government, led by Acting Governor Aluel Garang, witnessed the return of the raided cattle to their rightful owners. She instructed the commissioner to apprehend the criminals, ensuring they face justice. Aluel Garang expressed gratitude to the local government, security forces in the area, and all communities for cooperating with the state government’s efforts to crack down on perpetrators,” stated the minister.
The minister highlighted that Kuol Muor’s government has designated 2024 as the “Year of Peace.” He added, “Maximum forces are currently pursuing the raiders, and we are optimistic about apprehending them due to the high level of cooperation between the security forces and the host community in Gogrial West County of Warrap State.”
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