Lakes and Unity MPs vowe to return raided cattle
May 22, 2013 (BENTIU) – Parliamentarians from Lakes and Unity States have assured each other in a face to face meeting last week in Unity states capital, Bentiu, to ensure that cattle raided from both states will be returned to their owners.
Cattle raiding have been a constant re-occurrence along the borders of Unity, Warrap and Lakes states both before and after the end of decades of civil war in 2005. The cross borders raids have continued since South Sudan’s independence in 2011.
In April a teleconference was organized by United Nations department of civil affairs bring together member of parliament from the three states to discuss challenges and ways forward to end the raids and deadly reprisal attacks.
The MPs repeated their promise to address cattle raiding along their borders, which have hampered cross-border relationships and trade.
The announcement came after a delegation of MPs from Lakes state met with their counterparts in Unity State.
Peter Dak Khan, an MP from Unity state, says the two states are willing to steadfastly promote peace to the neighbouring states which have suffered from continued threats of insecurity caused by cattle rustling and inter-clan fighting.
“Both sides have agreed in last week’s meeting that we will be working toward returning the stolen cattle or cows to their rightfully owners and should be implemented by both states government”, Khan said in an interview with Sudan Tribune on Tuesday.
Khan says, he urged officials from Lake state to immediately implement the commitment from both state government’s in order for return of stolen cows. He gave the example of when the commissioner of Payinjiar county recovered 105 cattle that had been stolen from from Yirol East in April.
He added, if authorities from both states applied same spirit everything would have improved in terms of bringing an end the cattle rustling along borders.
Last week youth, alleged to have come from Unity state’s Mayiandit and Payinjiar counties attacked neighbouring Rumbek North county according to Lake state authorities.
Mayiandit county commissioner, Gideon Gatpan Thoar, confirmed last week that raiders clashes with security personnel at Madol payam [district] while they attempted to return from Lake state.
The commissioner accused their ring leader Gatluak Kuekuek who was allegedly comes from neighbouring Mayom county of masterminding on Maper county in Lake state. This has been denied by the commissioner.
Cattle raiding along both sides of the state border have resulted into more deaths and looting the properties of traders trying to move between Unity and Lake state.
Officials from both states have spoken of the need to bring an end to cattle rustling but have failed due to poor infrastructure between the states, which have made it difficult for police forces to patrol the borders and respond to attacks in remote areas.
Eight police officers were killed in Koch county of Unity state last week when they tried to intervene in fighting between the Jageay Nuer and Bul Nuer communities.
(ST)