The authorities in Lakes State confirmed that armed youth from Unity State’s Panyijiar County attacked and killed two people during a foiled cattle raid in Pagarau Payam in Lakes State’s Yirol East County on Saturday.
Mayen Luk, the police inspector in the county, said that the raiders attempted to attack a cattle camp called Wun Manguak.
“We were given information early, and we alerted the people in that cattle camp, and the attackers were blocked out. When the attackers realized that the people in that cattle camp were informed and everyone was aware of the imminent attack, they attacked the village of Mathiang,” he said. “The raiders speared a 45-year-old man to death, and when the village youths heard people crying, they intervened and exchanged gunfire with the criminals. The criminals also killed another person while fleeing, and the local youth are still pursuing them.”
“We have just sent reinforcements, and the organized forces and the community police are following the bandits on foot,” he added.
According to Luk, the people in the county fled their homes and are living in fear.
“There is fear of imminent attacks, and people are in fear because in all the villages, people are making phone calls spreading misinformation and disinformation to the public across the villages that there is information from Juba or Nuer that there will be an attack in Yirol East County,” he said.
For his part, William Koji Kirjok, the acting information minister in Lakes State, confirmed the foiled raid.
“The raiders are very many, and the local youth and security forces are following them,” he stated.
Daniel Laat Kon, a civil society activist, condemned the attack.
“This is a very sad incident, and we condemn it in the strongest terms. We urge the Lakes State government to intervene and engage the Unity State authorities so that the perpetrators are held accountable,” he said. “There have been reports of armed youths from Unity State attacking different areas in Lakes State. The armed youths should consider peace dialogues for the peaceful resolution of issues around the border areas. There is a need for the deployment of forces around those areas where communities are being terrorized by armed criminals.”
Attempts to reach the commissioner of Panyijiar County were futile.