The Northern Bahr el Ghazal State government on Monday issued a state-wide order to kill all stray dogs.
The state governor, Tong Akeen Ngor, issued the directive after a pack of rabid dogs attacked people in Jaach Payam of Aweil North County, killing an infant and severely wounding seven other people on Monday last week.
No arrests were made because the local government authorities were unable to identify the owners of the stray dogs.
Governor Akeen said, “We formed a committee and said it is possible to do away with all stray dogs through the police and the executive directors. The police have to take their rifles and kill stray dogs in all areas of the state, not Aweil North alone. These are executive and administrative orders. We have directed municipal and executive directors so that they can issue local orders to use rifles and sticks across the state.”
The executive director of Aweil North County, William Deng Mou, said, “This happened on 18th of this month when the rabid dogs attacked the civilians in their villages. They bit one child who passed away immediately. So this is a brief history about the problem of the dogs at Jaach Payam. There are many stray dogs, they bit seven people and they are undergoing medical treatment in Jaach Payam.’’
He said the youth in the county have started killing all stray dogs.
Public health officials were unavailable for comment.