Gunmen raid 35 cows in Bor

A herd of cattle in South Sudan. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

About 35 cows were stolen by a group of armed men during a raid in the Makol-Cuei area in the outskirts of the Jonglei State capital, Bor, on Thursday, local authorities have said.

About 35 cows were stolen by a group of armed men during a raid in the Makol-Cuei area in the outskirts of the Jonglei State capital, Bor, on Thursday, local authorities have said.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Sunday, Duom Kuol Ager, the Secretary-General for Jonglei State, said the animals were stolen by the armed men as they were left to graze in the area on Thursday morning.

“The incident took place at 11 am. About 35 cows from three different cattle camps in the Makol-Cuei area were taken by those criminals while they were grazing. The youth tried to follow the missing cows but they could not recover any. But there was no one injured or killed during the incident,” Duom explained.

Joseph Mayen Akoon, the state police commissioner, confirmed the incident, saying the area is calm despite the incident.

The police officer blamed the raid on criminals suspected to have come from the neighbouring Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA).

For his part, Peter Lebelek, the GPAA Secretary-General, denied knowledge of the incident.

Cattle rustling is common among communities in Jonglei. The practice existed for years and is often accompanied by killings and child abductions.