Authorities in Lakes State said the assistant to a truck driver transporting cattle to Juba was shot dead and 47 cows looted from their vehicle in Rumbek East County on Tuesday.
The incident occurred in Atiaba Payam of Rumbek East County.
Brigadier General Makur Dak, the police chief in Rumbek East County, told Radio Tamazuj that an assistant driver only identified as Manut, who was on a trailer taking cattle to Juba from Wau, was killed and all the 47 cows on board were robbed by the assailants.
“There were 3 trucks loaded with cows from Wau in Western Bahr-el-Ghazal heading to Juba and criminals followed one of them and managed to rob 47 cows and 9 goats. They were in a semi-trailer. Now we are trying to find out who the suspects are through the local chiefs. They killed the assistant to the driver of the semi-trailer truck,” Gen. Dak said.
He added, “They actually had a police escort but it turned back when they reached Cueibet, leaving the trucks to proceed unprotected. That is when they fell into the ambush of the criminals.”
The Minister of Information in Lakes State, Stephen Mathiang Deng Monydit, said that the commissioner of Rumbek East County is working hard to identify and apprehend the suspects.
“The criminal’s motive was to loot the truck carrying cattle which they did and they shot dead one of the drivers of the truck and they emptied the truck carrying cattle. About 45 head of cattle were taken,” Information minister Mathiang said.
He said Arial-teen, Aluakluak, and Atiaba Payams in Lakes State are crime hot spots renowned for looting and killings.