Unity State residents accuse government of transferring raided cattle

December 10, 2015 (BENTIU) – Residents of South Sudan’s Unity state claim the government transfered over 2,000 herds of cattle raided in Rubkotna, Guit, Koch, Mayiandit and Leer counties, from the state headquarters to Mayom county.

In September and October, militias with links to government allegedly carried out door to door searches in the southern part of oil rich state, raided cattle and abducted women and girls. Some residents who fled the counties into Bentiu, gave horrifying accounts on what transpired when government-allied militias visited the area.

A Unity state resident, only identified as Gatluak told Sudan Tribune many of the cows raided in the southern counties have been assembled in the state capital, Bentiu.

He claimed the cattle kept in Bentiu were driven out to Mayom from 8-10 December.

“Yes it is true that many of those cows that were kept in Bentiu are already moving out of the town. As I talk to you now they are still taking them away from the town,” said Galuak.

However, the armed opposition loyal to South Sudan’s designated first vice president Riek Machar, who signed a power sharing deal with president Salva Kiir government said they have been monitoring pro-government activities in the state capital for long.

Major Weirial Puok Baluang, a press secretary for the rebel appointed governor of Liech state, said their intelligence detected the movement of thousands of cows out of Bentiu.

“The regime that has been making a mass killing of civilians, looting cattle, abducting girls, women and castrating boys to make them impotent, finally moved large heads of cattle from Bentiu to Mayom for general distribution,” he told Sudan Tribune.

Puok claimed some officials from the state government divided the looted cows among themselves, allegations, which Sudan Tribune could not independently verify.

(ST)