Two boys, aged seven and eight, have been abducted in Logua village of Kapoeta East County of South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria State on Thursday, a local official said.
Kapoeta East County Commissioner Abdalla Angelo Okello told Radio Tamazuj that the two boys were abducted at around 2 pm. Okello further said the abductors also raided about 30 herds of cattle.
Abdalla accused armed youth from Turkana County in neighbouring Kenya of abducting the two children and raiding the cattle.
“Yesterday (Thursday) Turkana youth entered my County in a village called Logua, they stole thirty cattle and abducted two children,” he explained.
Okello said he has contacted his Turkana counterpart to investigate the matter and return the abducted children and the stolen cattle.
Orem Emmanuel, a civil society activist in Eastern Equatoria State, condemned the act saying it is a violation of a child’s right.
He urged the government of Turkana and Eastern Equatoria authorities to engage in dialogue towards finding a better solution to cattle raiding and child abduction among neighbouring communities.
“First of all, we condemn the act of cattle raiding and abducting children because it is against the right of children. Cattle raiding is not helpful, this where usually there is an issue to do with revenge killing,” he stressed.
Turkana county authorities could not immediately be reached for comment.