At least seven people were killed when alleged cattle keepers attacked Abara and Ayii-Kit Bomas of Iwire Payam in Magwi County of South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria State on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Authorities say five people were killed on Wednesday evening, an unknown number of houses torched and thousands displaced from Abara Boma. Two other people were killed and one injured in Ayii-Kit Boma on Tuesday.
“Yesterday at around 5:00 pm Abara Boma in Magwi County was attacked by the cattle herders from Jonglei state. Five people have been reported killed and a number of houses got burnt, an unknown number of cattle were also taken after the attack of the cattle keepers by cattle raiders of Eastern Equatoria in Agoro last Sunday,” Eastern Equatoria state governor Louis Lobong Lojore said in a press statement today.
Lobong said the people of Magwi County continue to be harassed, intimidated, beaten, and killed by cattle keepers creating fear among communities and displacing them to live in harsh conditions.
He condemned the situation and called for an end to the violence.
“We call upon the cattle keepers from Jonglei to stop harassment, killing of innocent people, and to immediately return to their places of origin in Jonglei state,” Lobong said. “We call upon the national government to order the South Sudan Defense Forces to intervene and save the lives and properties of the people in Eastern Equatoria State and ensure the immediate return of cattle herders to their places of origin.”
Governor Lobong pointed out that if nothing is done, the state will mobilize its youth to protect themselves.
“We will continue to call for, make statements and call for these people to go, time will come where these people will go. Even if there is some action to be taken it requires time and preparation,” he said. “If the national government does not respond we will then see as a state to mobilize ourselves and mobilize the youth in Eastern Equatoria to protect and defend the people of Magwi.”
Ocholla Bosco, Magwi county youth leader said more than 80 houses were burnt to the ground and many people displaced from their homes.
“I cannot tell the number of cattle stolen but I can confirm the number of people who died we have five in total, three male and two females,” he said. “The number of huts which were burnt is 82 huts burnt with all properties inside as I talk now on the road is flooded with people coming from Abara to Magwi town the side which was attack is Abara north.
Bosco called on the state government to protect the people of Magwi and their property, saying the situation remains volatile.
“My cry to our government of Eastern Equatoria state is that we need forces that can protect our community,” he stated.
Magwi County Commissioner David Otto Remson, when contacted said he was still gathering information following yesterday’s attack.
“We are collecting information, am on the ground here,” he said.
For his part, Joseph Attube, the chief of Ayii-Kit Boma in Iwire Payam says the security situation has deteriorated since the attack on Sunday.
“We, in Ayii-kit here our situation is not good. When the cattle raiders came and attacked and raided cattle from there the whole problem now is transferred on the people here. They emptied the Nyolo area across the river people ran, they beat people, and loot their properties. In Batala village they killed one old man on Tuesday, in the side of Bari they killed one boy and injured one currently at the hospital,” he said.
He adds, “On Tuesday, they came to the side of Jokopi and stole people’s phones, looted shops, and loot people’s properties.”
Clashes between cattle keepers and cattle raiders left an estimated 20 people dead in Magwi County on Sunday.