Heavily armed cattle raiders have stormed Kapoeta East County and abducted several women and children, Eastern Equatoria State Governor Louis Lobong Lojore has said.
Speaking during a press conference at the SPLM State Secretariat in Torit on Friday, Governor Lobong said armed youths from the Greater Pibor attacked Kauto Payam of Kapoeta East County, stealing an unknown number of cattle and abducting several women and children.
The senior official expressed disappointment over the raids and called on the Pibor Government to act immediately to restore peace between the neighbouring communities.
“On the 23rd of this month, thousands of youth from the Murle community in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area attacked the Toposa Kraals in Kauto, Kapoeta East County. This group of youth has been mobilizing since last month. They have raided the area, but we have not received the details. We have received reports that these people have gone with cattle and also took children and looted goods from the Toposa. We don’t know how many cattle have been raided or killed, although we don’t have details; we want the public to know what has taken place, “Governor Lobong said.
Governor Lobong regretted that several peace talks between the governments of Eastern Equatoria and Pibor Administrative Area have been in vain despite an earlier pardon on Murle cattle raiders who also stormed Kapoeta North last year.
“I have been trying my best to bring peace and stability between us and our neighbours, the Murle community. They have been carrying out these activities, and I thought the best way was to dialogue with these people and have peace with them. You can remember they attacked Toposa cattle in Riwoto, and they were inflicted with a lot of casualties, and we facilitated the wounded and brought them and treated them in our own hospital here in Torit. We also facilitated their transfer to Juba, and we thought those wounded would be the ambassadors of peace,” he said.
Adding, “This is the second time they have attacked our people in big numbers, and we don’t know what is their motive. We are trying to keep peace in our state by convincing our people not to go for revenge.”
Meanwhile, Kapoeta East County Commissioner Abdallah Angelo Lokeno confirmed the incident and said the Murle youths have been planning such raids despite their leaders denying all reports.
“They attacked cattle from the other side of the river, three to four kraals. They also chased away the youth who were guarding the cattle, abducted children and also took women. Up to now, the number of children and women abducted is not known. The situation in the area remains tense after the Toposa community lost their cattle,” he said.
“We have urged the national government several times that civilians cannot be causing this nonsense in the country because last year, the Murle attacked Ruwato and killed 300 people. The guns recovered from them, black guns, small ones and a lot of PKMs that we don’t have. We see that there are people are supporting them, and it is not good if a community organizes such raids in big numbers. What if we, the Toposa community, also do that? What will happen?” he asked.
Pibor Administrative Area Minister of Information, Abraham Kilang, could not be reached for comment.