Armed youth raided more than 250 head of cattle in two separate attacks earlier in the week in Uror County of Jonglei State, local officials said.
The county’s executive director, Joseph Bayak Chamjok, told Radio Tamazuj Wednesday that the two rustling incidents occurred in the Tiam area on Monday and Tuesday.
“On Monday, a group of armed youth attacked our local youth while the latter were herding cattle and went away with about 200 head of cattle,” he said. “While the first group of cattle raiders was being pursued, another group came on Tuesday afternoon and took 53 head of cattle because there was no youth left behind in the village.”
Bayak condemned the attack and said armed youth who stole the cattle are suspected to have come from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPPA).
Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Gatbel Machar, the deputy county police inspector, confirmed the incident and said the owners of the raided cattle were pursuing the rustlers in a bid to recover the stolen animals.
“The youths from Pibor (GPAA) have become a very big problem, but the local youth are following the raiders,” he said.
On his part, Abraham Kelang, the GPAA information minister, said they are not aware or sure of the involvement of the youth from their area in any attacks in Jonglei State.
Cattle raids and child abduction are common among the communities in the Greater Jonglei state. Several attempts to make peace and stop cattle rustling have borne no fruit.