Jonglei: Cattle thefts loot over 400 in Twice East
October 17, 2012 (BOR) – About 415 heads of cattle are reported stolen from Ajuong payam of Twice East yesterday evening, the commissioner of Twice East county Dau Akoi has said.
The suspected raiders from Murle ethnic tribes, according to the commissioner, looted the cattle at 5 PM from Mading Adiang cattle camp, “but lack of rifles from the locals’ hands made the cattle went without being rescued”.
The commissioner said the army stationed in the payam for protection was far from the area where the cattle were stolen.
The commissioner said the cattle footmarks indicated that the raiders came from Gumuruk Payam of Pibor County.
“We have no other people to suspect other than our neighbours in Pibor Payam of Gumuruk”, said the commissioner.
He said the incidents of cattle thieft stopped after peace that was signed in May, citing the recent incident as the first.
“The issue of cattle raiding ended after we signed the agreement in Bor with the rest of the tribes, this is now the first of its kind since May”, Akoi explained on phone to Sudan Tribune from Twice East headquarters of Panyagoor on Wednesday.
He urged the county authority of Pibor and Jonglei government to make sure that the cattle are returned to the owners.
ONE SPLA SOLDIER KILLED IN BOR
In Jale Payam of Bor County, bordering Twice East County, an SPLA soldier was reported killed and two others wounded in a tempted raid at Weereh cattle, east of Jale village.
In a press briefing at Bor County commissioner’s office on Wednesday, county press secretary in the county, David Alier Keer told the press that one SPLA soldier was shot dead and two others with injures by armed Murle ethnics when a small force was assaulted by raiders who laid ambushed in the bush where the cattle grazing.
“During the fighting, one SPLA soldier was killed and two others [soldiers] plus some civilians [some cattle owners who were herding the cattle] were wounded and they are now in Bor hospital”, Keer explained to the press in Bor.
Last Week, the state governor, Kuol Manyang Juuk told Sudan Tribune that some of the cattle raided in Bor county, in Jale Payam in August were looted by the rebel loyalist of David Yau Yau, a claimed strong disputed by the local member of Parliament represent Jale Payam.
Kuol Bol Ayom [commonly known as Adur-Hok-nok], said he strongly disputed the claim of “putting the attacks on Yau Yau”.
Bol is one of the members of parliament who is representing Athoch-nortj constituency 28 which largely fall under Jale Payam.
He said one of his colleagues in the parliament made the same claim over the media last week by attributing the cases of raid, abduction and killing in Bor to Rebel of David Yau Yau.
“The people who are killing people here, looting cattle and abducting children have economics reasons, while David Yau Yau has political reasons of fighting against the government. How are these related now?”, he wondered.
He explained that the raiders, who are also abducting children “are getting guns and ammunitions from the rebel to suffice their economic agenda”.
According to Bol explained “there is no no different between Yau Yau and Murle”.
The MP blamed the forces of disarmament for having failed to disarm the youth of Murle who escaped disarmament since April this Year during the dry season.
“Now SPLA is saying they are not able to disarm them in the wet season, what is the right time for them to be disarmed. During the dry season, SPLA said they they were not able to reach the Murle Youth who escaped, and now they say there is water everywhere, which time is the best for them to disarm Murle?,” Bol wondered in Bor.
(ST)