Warrap parliament discuss 70 deaths as 70,000 cattle stolen

By Ngor Arol Garang

February 8, 2012 (JUBA) – The parliament of Warrap State on Tuesday expressed concern over reports indicating that 78 people have been killed during massive cattle raids in Tonj East County in late January.

Local authorities say that on 28 January an armed group from the neighbouring Unity State attacked several communities in Tong East County stealing more than 70,000 cattle.

The UN have reported that a humanitarian assessment found that an estimated “3,000 people were displaced to surrounding villages and that some 40,000 people have been affected because their livestock was stolen.”

Madot Dut Deng, the speaker of the Warrap Legislative Assembly said on Wednesday that the house called on the central government to ensure that urgent measures are taken to help secure the economic and social rights of those affected by the attack.

“This is extremely difficult situation because around 60,000 people have now been left without a livelihood. Their livestock have been taken and the worst and annoying part of all is that productive aged groups have been killed,” the speaker said.

He identified those displaced by the attack, as mostly members of the Luac Jang ethnic group.

“They are now facing shortages of water, food, shelter and medicine. The central government needs to explore ways to address this issue with immediacy”, the speaker said, explaining that he would appreciate comprehensive disarmament across the neighbouring states.

Thuc Kuac, a member of the country’s ruling Sudan People’s People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) on Wednesday told reporters in Juba that 78 were killed, while nine others remain missing following the attack.

Most of the victims were women and children, he said, with another 72 people were wounded.

Kuac, a native of the area said he does not understand the reasons why civilian cattle raiders continue to kill each other across county and state borders, saying it was hindering government efforts to fight against the poverty and disease and hunger.

SHOOTING AT PEACE CONFERENCE

In a separate incident in Unity State’s Mayendit County on 1 February, a shooting took place during a mediation meeting aimed at ending ongoing inter-county and ethnic tensions.

A member of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) was injured in the shooting and 37 people were killed, according to county authorities.

An UNMISS source said Wednesday that their staff members were meeting with the Mayendit County Commissioner to investigate recent inter-communal violence along the border between Warrap and Unity when a group of armed men arrived in four pick-up trucks and started shooting indiscriminately.

The UN staff member “was wounded in the crossfire and is now in Juba. He is okay” the source told Sudan Tribune. The source added that the UN has called on the government to investigate the incident and to bring the perpetrators of the attack to account.

He said recent attacks in Warrap and Unity are not related events in Jonglei state, where 1400,000 civilians have been displaced in the past two months due to deadly clashes between the Lou Nuer and Murle communities.

Between June and August 2011, over 1,000 people were killed in raids and counter raids between the two groups.

South Sudan became the world’s newest country when it broke away from Sudan in July 2011 as part of a six-year peace process with north Sudan.

Between 1983 and 2005 conflict flooded the region with small arms. UN supported government efforts to disarm populations have largely failed to stop violence between rival groups.

(ST)