Death toll in Magwi County clashes hits 23
The death toll of clashes among armed men in Nyolo Village of Magwi County has risen to 23 people, Abraham Makur Duot, Coordinator for Greater Upper Nile Peace and Reconciliation Initiative among herders and farmers in Equatoria said.
At least 27 wounded people have been transported to Juba for treatment at Juba Teaching Hospital, Makur told The City Review on Monday.
He said some heads of the cattle have been recovered but thousands of others remain scattered in the bushes in Nyolo Village of Magwi County, Eastern Equatoria State.
“The incident claimed 23 lives and 27 wounded and we brought them to Juba here,” Makur said.
Attackers’ identity
“These organized forces did not come from heaven; they are being organized here. Everyone in Equatoria knows even the Commissioner of Magwi knows that,” Makur added.
The Police Spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Daniel Justin claimed on Monday morning that armed youth carried out the attacks while some media reported that the forces of the National Salvation Front (NAS) launched the attack.
However, authorities in Eastern Equatoria State said the attack was carried out by a group of unidentified cattle raiders.
On Sunday, Makur alleged that the assailants were heavily armed with RPGs, PKMs, and AK47s, dressed in the National Security’s uniforms “I believe is a well-coordinated attack to raid and move cattle out of the area.”
Dr. Bior Kuer Bior, Chairman of the Bor Community Youth Association accused NAS forces of the attack.
“The report that we have is that there are NAS forces,” Dr. Kuer said in a statement on Sunday “Because they used heavy machine guns and motors on the IDPs … the situation is still volatile because there are people who are still missing. It is not clear whether they are killed or wounded.”
Blame on government
“The authorities are still keeping quiet but cattle owners tried and got some of their cattle back,” Makur said.
However, the Magwi County Commissioner, Otto David declined to comment to respond to Mr. Makur’s blame, saying that “I am in a meeting and will call back” but did not by the press time.
Early warning
Activists, Members of Parliament, and Equatoria’s community leaders early warmed imminent violence due to the influx of cattle in Greater Equatoria should the government fail to immediately intervene.
They demanded the government to drive out cattle whose owners they said were heavily armed threatening the host communities.
But the pastoralists have argued that they could not go back as their land of origins, especially the greater Jonglei state, was insecure and flooded which government should address before their movements.
Some analysts have however called for an amicable way of normalizing relations between farmers and herders that enable both parties to respect each other’s sources of livelihoods to prevent violence.
