Cattle are a source of prestige and wealth in South Sudan and are seen by some officials as a cause of insecurity. (Photo: Courtesy).

The government of Lakes State has returned more than 100 cattle raided on March 10, 2023, to their rightful owners in Tonj South County of neighboring Warrap State.

The state information minister William Kwoji says 107 cows have been collected from Cueibet County “criminals” and handed back to Warrap authorities.

Kwoji said the security forces in Lakes are currently tracing the raiders and collecting the remaining stolen cows.

“The executive director from Tonj South is in Cueibet and the commissioner of Cueibet is also there. The cattle that had been raided from Tonj South have been collected upto 107,” he told Eye Radio on Saturday.

“The organized forces are still pursuing the criminals to make sure all the raided cattle are returned to their owners. About those personals am not aware about it and they did not report anything about it.”

The raiding which occurred just last week, saw about 235 cattle stolen from Tonj South County in Warrap State, by a group of armed youth from Cueibet County.

No casualty was immediately reported from the incident although Warrap State information minister Wol Mayom reported three people missing.

However, Kwoji told Eye Radio that he has no information about the missing people.