At least four herders were killed and another wounded in a cattle raid on Tuesday evening at Paliau village in Jonglei State’s Twic East County.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday, the Twic East County Commissioner Dau Akuei Jur Kuic stated that at around 2:00 p.m., about five youths fell into an ambush laid by criminals. As a result, four people were killed on the spot and one person wounded in Paliau village.

"Actually the cattle keepers were nine in number – five of whom were ambushed by criminals who were coming from swamp areas and heading toward Murleland, "he explained.

He noted the assailants raided over 50 goats in Pading area where there are dense forests, which makes it difficult for the locals to recover their goats.

The commissioner frankly accused the Murle youths of the attack: "We have evidence; previously there was an attack by criminals but the youths managed to kill one of the attackers who was afterward  identified as Murle tribesman.”

"We know very well  the marks that differentiate between all the ethnic groups in Jonglei State" he emphasized,” saying also that after the incident he informed the Pibor Commissioner about the attack so that he could talk to his citizens to return back the raided cattle, so as to maintain the good relations between the two communities.

For his part, the Pibor County Commissioner Joshua Konyi denied knowledge of the alleged attack by Murle elements in an attempt to raid cattle in Twic East County. He noted Twic East County is witnessing military operations between the government troops and defectors who pay allegiance to former Vice President Dr. Riek Machar.

"I don’t think someone can go to steal cattle in areas where there is rampant insecurity," said Konyi.

"The Twic East Commissioner tried to talk to me on telephone this morning, but the network was very weak that way I could not understand what he was trying to say",  he said.

"But if there are some Murle criminals claimed to be have infiltrated to Twic East to loot cattle I have no information about that. You know, labelling the Murle as cattle rustlers by some people have become an order of the day, but the Murle tribe is being accused repeatedly without enough evidence,” he underscored. 

Security in Pibor

In another development, the Pibor County Commissioner told Radio Tamazuj that the security situation is relatively calm and stable in his County.

However, he noted approximately 301 defected forces under the command of renegade Peter Ruai are stationing in southern part of Pibor County,  but do not pose any security threat to the local residents.

“We talked to the government force in the area, not to attack them in their position because their position is also near Yau Yau forces, because the locals need peace and stability,” the commissioner said.

He called on the UN organization to provided food and other essential services to the local population. The commissioner also appealed to the national government in Juba to bring about peace in the area by signing a lasting peace accord with Gen. David Yau Yau.