Official attacked after SPLA attempt to return stolen cattle to Amboro in Unity state
By Bonifacio Taban Kuich
August 25, 2010 (BENTIU) – An armed gang attacked and set fire to the house of Chol Tor Abuot, a government official in Pariang County, injuring him seriously on August 23, after he endorsed an attempt to return cattle that they had stolen from the Amboro tribe.
Mabeak Lang Nabing the County Commissioner said Abuot was able to escape assignation attempt and that security in the area was being tightened.
Abuot was attempting follow the Government of Southern Sudan’s policy, to attempt to return cattle to the original owners.
The dispute started following April’s election, when cattle raiders from Pariang County took 1,300 cows from the Amboro – a pastoralist tribe – near the Heglig oil field in Unity State.
A three month investigation by county authorities found that the attackers were hiding in the bush.
Mabeak Lang Nabing the County Commissioner said that the investigation found that the culprits have been hiding in the bush in Pariang county ever since.
Nabing said that the gang went to Abuot’s house to demand that the cattle were not returned the Amboro.
After Abuot refused the group set fire to his house.
On Tuesday morning the cattle raiders ambushed members of the southern Sudanese army, the SPLA, who were sent to disarm them. No injuries were reported.
According to Nabing, the raiders have been operating in Pariang County for the last four months.
Nabing said, Taban Deng Gai, the governor of Unity state was working to improve the security situation ahead of the southern referendum on independence due take place in January next year.
(ST)
Miakerlou
Official attacked after SPLA attempt to return stolen cattle to Amboro in Unity state
That is why I don’t believe these reporters. They report only what comes out of the mouths of officials and their cronies. The core problems is invation of western and north western Panrieng by those pastralists with the help from the Government of Unity State. Example is annexation of Karasan which was approved by Taban’s Government. Any time you give those pastralists a place to graze their live stocks, they claim it to be their home. They, ( the Baggara ) are now using most of the grazing land in Panrieng and they claim it, but the government doesn’t say any thing about it. Not only that, when these pastralists stole live stock from panaruu local people nobody say anything but when a goat from them ( the Baggara ) is lost, every Panaruu young man in those villages is tortuted, jailed and fined