Authorities in Duk County of South Sudan’s Jonglei state say the death toll following Monday’s cattle raid by armed attackers has risen to 13 after 10 more bodies were recovered on Tuesday,
On Tuesday morning, the Duk County local officials reported that three people were killed and about 1,000 stolen cattle were recovered as the locals foiled the raid by the assailants.
“From Duk Padiet, we lost seven more youth and three others from those who came from Pajut to join the Duk Padiet youth as they fought off the attackers. Nine people were injured and more than 1,000 cows recovered,” Duk Padiet Payam administrator Peter Kuer told Radio Tamazuj.
He pointed out that the injured were receiving treatment at the Duk Padiet Payam Primary Health Care Centre.
Philip Thon Leek, a lawmaker representing Duk in the national legislative assembly, called for government intervention in curtailing cattle raids between Jonglei State communities and their neighbors in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) whose youth are accused of being behind the Monday attack.
“The death toll has risen to 13. Communities are willing and ready for peace that is why they came to peace talks because no one wants to die or see their relative dead. But who is enforcing the agreement? It is the national or the state government,” he questioned.
For his part, Lokali Amae, the GPAA chief administrator, said he was not aware of the incident and reiterated his commitment to restoring peace in Greater Jonglei.