Three people went missing and more than 40 cattle were raided in Tonj South County, by armed youth suspected to have come from Cueibet County of Lakes State, an official said.
According to William Wol Mayom, the Information Minister in Warrap State, the incident occurred in Akoching Village in Manyangok Payam on Friday.
Wol told Eye Radio that armed men attacked a cattle camp – raiding over 40 herds of cattle.
“The cattle camp in Manyangok Payam of Tonj South County has been attacked and over 40 cattle were raided by the suspected armed youth from Cueibet County of Lakes State,” he said.
He said three people including two men and a woman, whom he did not name, are still missing after the incident.
Wol appeals to the Commissioner of Cueibet and the Lakes State government to immediately intervene to recover the looted cattle and investigate the whereabouts of the missing civilians.
“In the incident, nobody was reported injured or killed but of course, the cattle owners do not report back but we also appeal to the government to keep monitoring the situation.”
“They were not reported to have been killed, but they are actually after their cattle which were raided. They are three people; two men and the wife of the owner of the cattle. Three of them are now missing and we understand that they could be in the area of Cueibet. However they need to be protected from any harm.”
When contacted for comment, Lakes State Information Minister William Koji said he is yet to receive a report about such an incident.
Koji said he will contact the Cueibet County commissioner and the state government will respond accordingly.
“That information did not come on my table, but there are always issues between these two counties of Rumbek North and Cueibet in Lakes and other counties in the neighboring areas,” he said.
Koji said the issues of raiding and communal fighting have been ongoing and the state government is trying hard to stop the practice.
“If it happened, the government will continue to do its part to make sure those criminals are arrested and the looted or raided cattle are returned, but I will consult first from the County Commissioner whether it has happened or not.”
“But I cannot deny it because this has been happening. They use to do this although the government is trying so much to bring the situation to an end, so if it has happened as I said, it (cattle) will be returned to the rightful owners.”