Authorities in South Sudan’s Eastern Lakes and Western Lakes states have agreed to recruit police to curb border crimes and cattle raiding.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday, the commissioner of Ger County in Eastern Lakes State, Michael Mayor Malak said the decision was reached during a three-day peace and development conference held in Aluak-Luak County.
The conference concluded on 29 December, 2019.
"We met as commissioners of Eastern and Western Lakes states, who included the commissioners of Amongpiny County, Eastern Bahr Naam County, Aluak-Luak County, Ngop County, Paloc County and Ger County,” Malak said.
He added, “We talked about peace and development in Aluak-Luak County and people agreed that we need more gatherings like this such that we make youth from various counties at the borders talk about peace and development”.
The local official further said establishment of border courts to handle criminal cases was also agreed upon at the peace conference.
He disclosed that the recruitment of community police forces to be tasked with curbing border crimes and cattle raids is already underway.
Pastoralist communities in many parts of South Sudan have a long history of tit-for-tat raids in which cattle are rustled and property looted.