Unity state: Eight women released after 5-day kidnap ordeal
By Bonifacio Taban Kuich
April 9, 2013 (BENTIU) – Authorities in Unity State have confirmed the release of eight women who were abducted from Payinjiar county on April 1 by a group of 350 civilian cattle raiders allegedly from neighbouring Lakes state.
Although cattle raids are common across the Lakes, Unity and Warrap state borders, this appears to be the first time that raids have been combined with abductions of people – a feature of cattle rustling in South Sudan’s Jonglei state.
The eight women and one 12-year-old boy were searching for food need a river when the were taken along with nearly 800 heads of cattle, the commissioner said, strongly condemning their treatment.
Payinjiar county officials alleges that cattle rustlers from Maper County of Rumbek North attacked Jieliew cattle camp at Kol Payam at 7am on Monday 1 April. The 741 cows taken were later recovered by SPLA forces and polices in the county in a battle on the same day that led to the death of three of the cattle rustlers.
There have been several peace talks between the county commissioners on both sides of the state border to discourage the “old cattle rustling practice”, the Payinjiar county commissioner said.
It is the duty of commissioners, he said, to advise and mobilise young men to disarm and stop killing each other of the cows, which are key to South Sudan’s traditional economy and to pay bride prices in many communities.
Biel said that since he became a commissioner young men from his area have never attacked their Lake state or the communities of any of Unity’s other neighbouring state’s.
He called on the commissioners of counties across the border in Lake state to stop the cycle of cattle raiding by convincing them that they are all South Sudanese citizens.
“That issue of cattle rustling becomes a measure issues and I believe when I go to the county as the commissioner of that area I try a lot to convince my community not to go to Rumbek because one community one government but the other side does not convince the criminals actually which I’m not blaming them because criminals always even in your house you can have a thief and take things”.
Authorities from the borders counties along Lake, Unity and Warrap state recommend building border roads to enable daily patrols to monitor the borders and prevent cattle raids.
Commissioner Biel urged government to implement their recommendation in order to bring an end the insecurity along the border communities.
“I mention that we need a security road along the border whereby the forces of militarily or polices deployed along the roads. This is the way that we can prevent these criminals not to go to cross the road to the other side, if not unless through rallies with counties whereby we the commissioner, I myself in Payinjiar county I can go to the neighboring counties so that we can have meeting with community and then they will come also to my side and then we will have meeting with community and this will show just a kind of spirit that we are one community”.
A serious disarmament took place in Lake, Unity and Warrap State but authorities are surprised by the large number of illegal fire arms still in the hands of civilians.
The Payinjiar commissioner urged the government to immediate investigate the proliferation of arms among the civilians in South Sudan despite the young nation’s numerous disarmament campaign.
(ST)