Warrap holds ex-rebel for killing 4 people, stealing over 200 cattle in Twic county
June 5, 2013 (JUBA) – An attack by an armed group on two separate villages in South Sudan’s Warrap state has left at least four people dead, as well as several others wounded.
The suspected attackers, who are accused of stealing more than 200 cows, are suspected of crossing into Warrap and attacking the Ajakkuac and Ayiet villages. The area lies just across the border from Mayom county in neighbouring Unity state.
Mayom county is where around 3,000 members of the South Sudan Liberation Army (SSLA) group recently accepted a presidential amnesty and are waiting to be integrated into the South Sudanese army (SPLA).
The first attack occurred on 31 May, with a second on 2 June.
Twic county commissioner Malek Riing Makuei told Sudan Tribune that recurring attacks in the area were attributed to the presence of large numbers of the SSLA militia in Mayom county.
“The presence of such a huge force is a concern to the population”, Makuei said, adding that he has been told that the SSLA have “refused to be disarmed and are currently causing havoc to our people”.
“They have since last two weeks been attacking villages in search of cattle to loot. The situation is disturbing. It is interfering with farming activities and many are fleeing villages, when they should be cultivating, for safety in the nearby villages due to insecurity. The situation has become desperate for those with cattle who are forced by this situation to drive away their cattle from grazing areas to areas not suitable for grazing”, he explained.
Makuei said the group started intensifying attacks in the area last month, making it difficult for the locals to cultivate their farms during the rainy season.
Many villagers are afraid that they will not be able to cultivate their farms on time due to ongoing insecurity, with delays likely to lead to food shortages.
According to county authorities, police and SPLA forces in the area have tried to stop the attacks, but the number of armed members of the SSLA is making the task difficult.
Local people have expressed fear that the situation could escalate drastically.
(ST)