Eastern Equatoria State Governor Louis Lobong Lojore has strongly warned Murle cattle traders against child abductions and cattle raiding when returning to their areas after selling their cattle.
Lobong sounded the warning over the weekend while inspecting the place in Torit town where Murle cattle traders sell their stock driven from Pibor.
The Murle traders who arrived in Torit with 300 head of cattle said they had no market for their cattle back home forcing them to look for markets in Juba and Torit. They said each cow costs between SSP 250,000 and 500,000.
Governor Lobong, while addressing the Murle traders, urged them to refrain from abducting children, cattle theft, and killings. He asked them to peacefully coexist with the local communities in Eastern Equatoria.
“Business requires peace and needs people to be united. The people of South Sudan must unite and work together. Do not repeat the same mistakes,” he counseled. “People should live together and all roads in Eastern Equatoria are open to you from Lafon up to Kuron. Live in peace and nobody should kill another, nobody should take someone’s cattle and nobody should abduct someone’s child.”
The representative of the Murle Cattle traders who only identified himself as Koten, thanked Lobong for the warm welcome and cooperation.
“We are from the Amorokpoch area in Gumuruk County near Kapoeta. We came to Torit for business. Our commissioner and governor were here for peace and we can confirm that the road from Murle to Kapoeta and Torit is fine,” he said. “We are here because of the peace which was agreed with our chief administrator and we have accepted peace and vow not to engage in any violence and that is what we are here to demonstrate.”
Koten however said that the lack of a market for their cattle in Torit town will likely force them to look for better markets elsewhere.
For her part, Eunice Nakiru, a woman activist working for the Mother, Son, and Daughters Organization, welcomed Governor Lobong’s warning but also cautioned parents to take good care of their children.