A herder was killed and another injured during a raid in which more than 300 head of cattle were rustled by armed assailants in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area’s (GPAA) Vertet County on Tuesday, a local official said.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday, Abraham Kelang, the GPAA information minister, said the incident occurred at the Vertet County headquarters, Muruou town, during the early hours of Tuesday.
“Armed youth from Kapoeta East County attacked Muruou yesterday, killing a man, injuring another one, and then went away with over 300 cows,” he said. “Again, they attacked the same area this morning but details are still scanty.”
However, Angelo Lokeno, the Kapoeta East County commissioner, said he was not aware of the attack and instead accused Pibor youth of involvement in atrocious acts in his county, citing an example of the abduction of a child and stabbing of its mother while on her farm recently.
The Toposa youth in Kapoeta East County and last week blocked the Kapoeta-Boma-Pibor Road after accusing Murle tribesmen from GPAA of abducting children and raiding their cattle.
The road is the lifeline for the inhabitants of GPAA as it is the only corridor they have for importing essential commodities.