Lakes governor in heated talks with Warap state over mass rape incident

By Manyang Mayom

April 25, 2009 (RUMBEK) – The Lakes state Governor, Lieutenant General Daniel Awet Akot, traveled to Tonj South County of Warap state on Friday to lobby the state authority over a rape crisis that occurred last Tuesday at a rural village of Agugi for Tonj South County of Warap state.

Reportedly, Gok clan youth of Lakes State on Tuesday raped twenty-eight women and girls from the Bongo community, one of whom died, so Lakes officials are trying to assert their authority in the area until local authorities bring the accused youth to face justice.

Governor Awet was escorted by advisors comprising the gender advisor, security advisor and political advisor, together with the commissioners of two counties bordering Warap — Rumbek North County (Maper) and Cueibet County.

Teams from both Warap and Lakes state governments walked to Agugi village where the rape had taken place to talk to rape victims over there, said a source

Lakes State SPLM Secretary Samuel Mathiang Keer has strongly condemned the rape and seriously assured that the state executive will take more steps to bring accused youth to face justice and also has warned that the SPLM party will take this case ahead as a party case if the state executive fails.

“In 1991 was our last hearing of rape cases in the movement of SPLA/M and now it happening again within the movement itself…. this is dangerous,” affirmed Keer.

In a separate incident, two friendly groups belonging to Panyon clans took revenge on Friday at a cattle camp called Aleek leaving two people dead from both sides. The SPLM party official also condemned this revenge act carried out by Panguetkor against Pam-many clan.

Violence struck again Friday, when Warap state youth of Luac attacked Rumbek North County of Lakes, resulting in 40 people wounded and seven people dead as a result of the assault while vast numbers of cows were taken with the raiders from Warap.

Thereafter, active youth of Pakam in Rumbek North County (Maper) are still running after them to get back their cattle. “However, elders said it is too late to return back those cows,” said a Lakes state lawmaker, Hon. Manyiel Ater. Nevertheless, Warap state authorities seem not to be happy with the incident, said a government official of Warap.

Clans struck across state lines in late March as well, when youth of the Cueibet Gok clan launched a flashpoint assault into Warap territories to a place called Kolkou and Manyang-yic. The unexpected attack came after a conference in Cueibet County on March 20 at which members of parliament from each of the two states signed a framework for peace for two the states.

(ST)