EES to use ‘local defense’ to protect Magwi
The government of Eastern Equatoria State said it could be forced to mobilize local defense to protect Magwi County from the aggression of heavily armed herders if the national government fails to provide protection.
This comes after the cattle herders on Wednesday advanced their attack on the local people of Abara Boma, Iwire Payam of Magwi County and killed 5 people.
Unconfirmed number of houses were burnt and some cattle belonging to a few indigenous were taken from Abara.
The incident caused displacement to the local communities who ran to the nearby areas for refuge.
Addressing the media in Torit yesterday Governor Louis Lobong Lojore said if no action taken by the national government to rescue the situation, Eastern Equatoria State will mobilize themselves and the youth to protect and defend the people of Magwi County.
This is the third time that the governor had addressed the media about increasing conflict in Magwi County and has not received any positive response from the national government.
“Yesterday at around 5 pm in the evening, Abara Boma in Magwi County was attacked by the cattle herders from Jonglei State, five people have been reported killed, a number of houses got burnt, and unknown number of cattle were also taken,” Lobong said.
“After the attack on the cattle keepers by cattle raiders in Agoro last Sunday, the community of Magwi County continues to witness harassment, intimidation, beating and killing by cattle herders,” Lobong said.
He warned cattle keepers to cease harassment, intimidation and killing of citizens and urged them to return to their place of origin.
Lobong condemned the attack on Abara and urged the national government to order the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces to drive the cattle keepers away from the farming community.
“The Government and the people of Eastern Equatoria State condemn in the strongest terms possible this uncalled-for attack and killing of the people in Magwi County,” he said.
“We call upon the cattle keepers from Jonglei to stop the harassment, the killing of innocent people and to immediately return to their areas of origin in Jonglei State. We call upon the national Government to order the South Sudan Defense Forces to intervene and save the lives and properties of the people of Eastern Equatoria State and ensure the immediate return of the cattle herders to their areas of origin” Lobong added.
“We will continue to call for, make statements. Time will come where these people will go and I made the statement just few days ago and for the national government or even the state government even if there is an action to be taken, it requires time, preparation. So, we will continue to do so and I believe if the national government does not respond to our call, we will then see as a State to mobilize ourselves and mobilize the youth of Eastern Equatoria to protect and defend the people of Magwi,” he said.
On Tuesday, two people were killed by the unidentified cattle keepers in Ayii, Magwi County of Eastern Equatoria State.
The incident happened as the deceased were returning from fishing and the armed cattle keepers opened fire on them. One person was died on spot and another was cut on the mouth with a knife but later succumbed death due to the wounds.
Magwi County Executive Director Ocheng David Tokwaro said after the incident the attackers also abducted a 28-year-old woman Lalam Santa alongside her 10-year-old boy.
He said the abducted woman left behind her 2-month-old baby at the place of the incident.
“It is true, in a place called Ayii a woman who gave birth to a baby of two months ago was abducted that woman up to now nobody knows whereabouts of her. They left behind a baby of two months,” Ocheng said.
He confirmed that the cattle keepers have been stopping passengers’ vehicles along Juba-Nimule Road in search of citizens who come from Eastern Equatoria State and Magwi County in particular.
“There was a vehicle coming from Nimule and some people were made to drop down about ten people, their fate is still unclear. They are targeting people of any community from Eastern Equatoria State. They abducted them but we are not certain whether they are alive or not alive,” said Ocheng.
