Unity authorities to hand over 90 cows raided from Lakes state

By Bonifacio Taban Kuich

February 8, 2013 (BENTIU) – Unity state’s Mayiandit county in South Sudan have recovered almost 100 head of cattle from raiders who allegedly attacked neighbouring Rumbek North county in Lake state about two weeks ago.

Eyewitnesses told Sudan Tribune on Thursday that about 90 cows under the supervision of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) were heading to Madol payam (district) to be reunited with their owners in Lake state in the coming days.

Last week, authorities from oil-rich Unity state ordered its security forces to immediately recover cattle from Rumbek North’s Maper county, which were stolen by a group of cattle rustlers from Mayiandit county.

Although Lake state authorities and cattle owners put the number of stolen cows at more than 300, officials in Unity officials dismissed the claims, adding that the 90 cows recovered were now under the guard of 20 SPLA soldiers.

In a series of interview conducted by Sudan Tribune on Thursday along Madol Payam-Mayiandit county road, SPLA soldiers said they had been tasked by state officials to escort the recovered cows back to their owners in Lake state and to prevent any bloodshed among communities.

“We are here taking these cows to their owners after [we] were assigned by our commanders to recover cows from raiders. Through local chiefs facilitation we made it successful because we want our citizens to live in peace,” said one soldier under the condition of anonymity.

Unity state authorities are calling on their Lake state counterpart to investigate a separate incident in which 8,710 head of cattle was allegedly stolen by an armed group dressed in military uniforms in Unity’s Payinjiar county last November.

South Sudanese army spokesperson Philip Aguer last year denied military involvement, saying those responsible for the attack were merely criminals trying to perpetuate a negative image of the SPLA by wearing military uniforms.

However, officials and cattle owners in Unity state say many questions still remain following a number of successful raids allegedly committed by rustlers from neighbouring Lake state in November last year.

According to official figures, 13 people were killed and five wounded with 8,710 head of cattle seized by raiders in the Payinjiar incident. Local communities have contradicted the official toll, saying 17 people were killed and over 10,000 head were nabbed.

Lakes state’s caretaker governor, Maj. Gen Matur Chut Dhuol, was appointed in January by South Sudanese president Salva Kiir following deadly communal clashes between clans in the often volatile region.

Dhuol was sworn in after his predecessor, Chol Tong Mayay, was removed from power by presidential decree and has been tasked with stamping out the old practice of cattle raiding.

He claims to have brought the threat of cattle raiding under control in Lake state, calling on his counterpart in Unity to apply the same measures in order to eliminate the practice, which is causing insecurity in both states.

Since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005 which brought an end to the long-running north-south civil war, cattle rustling remains among the biggest challenges facing the new nation.

The Unity state government claims to have returned a number of stolen cows to owners in Lake state after tracking them to criminal gangs operating in the state, but has accused authorities in Lakes state of failing to implement same policy.

The new priorities set by the caretaker governor in Lake state have been welcomed by authorities in Unity’s oil-producing capital Bentiu, however, they say the measures would have greater impact if laws were implemented on both sides of the border.

(ST)