A man identified as Owere Masmino, 30, who was tending to his goats was over the weekend shot dead by suspected rustlers in Torit County’s Hiyala Payam in Eastern Equatoria State, local officials said.
On the same Saturday, in a separate incident, a youth was shot and injured in the Haforiere area of Torit County.
The local authorities accused armed youths from the neighboring Ikotos County and Budi County of being behind the attacks.
Galileo Ohide, the paramount chief of Hiyala Payam, told Radio Tamazuj Monday that the incidents occurred in Haforiere and Hiyala on Saturday at 1 pm and 3 pm respectively.
“On Saturday, some three criminals suspected to be Buya youths came to Hiyala and proceeded through the bush up to Haforiere where they shot and wounded a boy called Akure in the leg. The foot marks of the attackers were tracked back to Hiyala where the assailants also killed a person called Owere who was looking after his goats,” he said. “They stole the goats and moved with them for three miles before being intercepted and the goats rescued. They shot Owere in the head.”
According to Chief Galileo, the attackers fled toward the villages of Obira and Iloli.
“The incident almost created tensions between the people of Haforiere and Hiyala because the former thought the latter killed their person and the people of Hiyala also accused those of Haforiere for stealing their goats,” he added. “But the goats were driven east and we told them to follow the footmarks of the criminals and they found out the truth.”
For his part, Torit County Commissioner Jacob Atari Albano confirmed the incident and faulted youths from Budi and Ikotos counties for destabilizing his county.
“I heard about the attacks from those who followed the footmarks of the criminals who killed a person in Hiyala and they said the tracks entered Lobira in Ikotos County. We shall hold all those responsible accountable at the end of the day because the government has the upper hand,” he said. “We are going to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice. It is always criminal elements from Budi and Ikotos counties causing insecurity in Torit County.”
“I am concerned and action has to be taken against the perpetrators in those counties and I do not want them to destabilize my county,” Commissioner Atari added.
Meanwhile, Pio Oset Osman, the chef of Obira Boma, denied the involvement of youth from his area in the attacks.
“I got that information but my people said they know nothing about it and have no problem with the people of Hiyala and Haforiere. Goats are often stolen in Hiyala and Haforiere and they should follow the footmarks of the thieves up to the end,” he said. “If the criminals entered my village, they should give me a call so that I meet my people. The proof will be the trail of the footmarks. When they see tracks going towards Lobira, they think the criminals are from here yet we have people who pass by and go to our neighbors the Buya.”
Apoko Betty, a women’s activist in Eastern Equatoria State who works with the Peace Link Foundation, condemned the attacks and urged the government to investigate the matter and bring the culprits to book.