One person was killed and more than 100 heads of cattle raided on Tuesday in South Sudan’s Eastern Lakes State. Simon Tueny Mabor, Eastern Lakes state minister of local government told Radio Tamazuj that a group of armed youth allegedly from Pakam community from Western Lakes State attacked a man who was milking in Thou-Abutkok, killed him and made away with 108 cattle. Tueny said that cattle raiding has led to instability in Eastern Lakes. “The issue of cattle raiding at the border of Eastern and Western Lakes States has become an issue of concern because it has become too much and does not allow for stability in Eastern Lakes State,” he said. Tueny claims the situation has been exacerbated by the presence of armed Pakam youth whom he said fled disarmament in Western Lakes in 2017. “Pakam armed youth since they fled their own areas in Western Lakes State for Eastern Lakes State because of disarmament in 2017 have never been disarmed. When they were about to be disarmed in Western Lakes by their state government they started running away with arms. Now they are camping in the middle of the two states border using guns to raid cattle from the disarmed community of Eastern Lakes State,” he claimed. However, the minister says the state government has sent reinforcement comprising local leaders and organized forces to the scene to contain the situation.
