The authorities of Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA), in an unprecedented move, on Tuesday acknowledged that armed youths from their jurisdiction carried out a massive raid in Eastern Equatoria State’s Kapoeta East County last week.
They said a security team has been sent to investigate the incidents so that the perpetrators are apprehended and brought to book.
Last week armed youths suspected to have come from GPAA stormed Kapoeta East, made off with an unspecified head of cattle, and abducted several women and children.
After Radio Tamazuj broke the story, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) deployed additional peacekeepers and launched urgent patrols in the two conflict hotspots of Jonglei and Kapoeta East County
In a statement on Tuesday which was extended to this publication, UNMISS, Chief Nicholas Haysom said there are incidents of fresh inter-communal violence, abduction of women and children, and mass displacement of vulnerable communities.
Abraham Kelang, the GPAA information minister told this publication that the suspected criminals who orchestrated the attack were from their jurisdiction.
“In reality, we the Government of Greater Pibor in our meetings found out for sure that there were some criminals, armed cattle raiders, who went there (Kapoeta East) from two GPAA counties to attack Kapoeta East County,” he said. “This incident happened for real and this is why our chief administrator sent delegates from GPAA to investigate and trace the perpetrators.”
Minister Kelang added: “When the abducted children are found, they will be returned and the raided cattle once recovered, will be returned.”
He urged the local communities in Kapoeta East to remain calm and continue living in peace and unity as neighbors of GPAA.
“The incident does not only pain you alone but also pains us all. The raid is not your problem because it is against peace between GPAA and Eastern Equatoria State. The peace is everlasting and cannot be separated and one might not understand what is going on,” he stated. “Be patient and the authorities in GPAA will follow and return any single coin brought by our youth. Give us one month and we shall update you.”
On his part, Oryem Emmanuel, a civil society activist in Eastern Equatoria State, condemned the attack which he described as barbaric, saying it would damage relations between the two areas.
He however applauded Toposa Youth for not taking the law into their hands and urged the national government to speed the implementation of security arrangements to curb insecurity.
“The Government needs to sensitize the communities that are still abducting women and children that it is not good. If the Toposa youth responded or retaliated in this situation, it would be dangerous and it would put the two states into chaos which we do not want,” he said. “The Government of South should expedite the implementation of the security arrangements. The graduated forces needed to be given assignments and the next phase of unified forces trained and deployed to secure the whole country.”