At least two children have gone missing after a cattle raid in Ikwoto County of South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria State on Wednesday.
The incident occurred in the Longolojore area of Ifuda Boma. Ikwoto authorities accuse armed men from Budi County of involvement in the incident.
Gabriel Arok Akom, the Ikwoto county police chief inspector, told Radio Tamazuj on Thursday that the incident happened when some gunmen raided a cattle camp.
According to the chief inspector, local youth are still investigating the incident and are committed to ensuring that the perpetrators are apprehended to face the law.
“Two children who were looking after the cattle went missing. So we don’t know whether these two children have been kidnapped or killed,” he said.
Mrs Grace Abalang, a member of the national legislative assembly representing Eastern Equatoria State, condemned the incident and called on the relevant authorities to arrest the perpetrators and return the raided cattle to their rightful owners.
“I condemn this in the strongest terms possible, we want to tell our people in Budi County to make sure they return the cattle and apprehend the criminals,” she said.
Calls to the Budi county commissioner went unanswered.
Last year, Budi county authorities accused some youth from Ikwoto County of a cattle raid that has resulted in the killing of six people from both sides.