Authorities have confirmed that suspected armed youths from Panyijiar County of Unity State were involved in violent clashes that left two cattle owners dead, four others injured and more than 60 heads of cattle raided in Lakes State.
The armed youth from Panyijiar attacked cattle camps in three counties: Rumbek Central, Rumbek East and Yirol East counties of Lakes State. Six cattle raiders from Panyijiar were killed in the attack.
Amuol cattle camp in Amongpiny of Rumbek Central County was hit hardest during two attacks Wednesday and Thursday last week.
The police spokesperson in Lakes State, Major Elijah Mabor Makuac, told Radio Tamazuj that the armed youths from Panyijiar County launched an attack last week, killing two people from the cattle owners and wounding four others and meanwhile more than 60 head of cattle were taken.
“During the pursuit, they killed one person from the cattle owners, and they proceeded with the cattle. When information spread, the cattle keepers who were camping around the area called Amol tried to withdraw their cattle up to a place called Majok and Maker. Unfortunately, the attackers already laid an ambush and the cattle fell in their hands and they chased away people and they managed to raid a huge number of cattle and they went away,” he said
He further said these cattle belong to various communities in Lakes State, including people from Nieniel of Rumbek North, Rumbek Central, Rumbek East, and Yirol East counties.
“The second attack was on last Thursday at around 9:00 am and they took another very huge number of cattle without being recovered,” he stated.
For his part, the commissioner of Panyijiar County in Unity State, Gabriel Majok Bol confirmed that Panyijiar armed youths attacked and raided cattle in Lakes State.
He said on the side of Panyijiar County armed youth, six cattle raiders have been killed.
“We have recovered 22 herds of cattle out of 58 cattle raised from Amongpiny side,” he said. “The criminals are still hiding in the bushes with some raided cattle, but our organized forces are following them, and when these raided cattle are fully collected, they will be returned to the rightful owners,” he explained.
He said the peace that was initiated by the two communities of Amongpiny and Panyijiar remains in place despite the criminal act of attacking and raiding cattle from there.
“Whenever these criminals are apprehended and investigated as to why they violated the resolutions of the peace dialogue, then they say that they go for cattle raiding because there are no jobs and no food to feed their families and there is hunger. They just go and raid cattle from the neighbouring communities to feed their family. This is what they said, and many of them don’t like me because I make sure that all the raided cattle are returned to the rightful owners,” Commissioner Gabriel explained.
Machot Kedit, a member of the regional court in Amongpiny Payam of Rumbek Central County, told Radio Tamazuj that the community of Amongpiny Payam is appealing to Lakes State authorities and peace partners to look into the case of cattle raided by armed youth from Panyijiar County.
“About 100 suspected armed youth from Panyijiar County of neighbouring raided 60 herds of cattle and two people killed, and we have been expecting peaceful co-existence through peace dialogue held with them. But we are appealing to the government to intervene in this problem,” he said.