5 killed, 3 wounded in Abyei cattle raids

The authorities in Abyei Special Administrative Area (ASAA) on Thursday said armed youth suspected to have come from Unity State’s Mayom County killed four people, including a teacher, and injured three others last Thursday in Rumamer County.

According to officials, the assailants also raided over 200 cattle from Rumamer, Ameth Aguok, and Alal counties. One of the attackers was killed.

Last year, President Salva Kiir issued an order to flush out armed Nuer groups from Abyei and also directed that forces loyal to a Nuer community leader, Gai Machiek, stationed in Warrap State’s Twic County, be relocated back to Unity State.

Rumamer County Commissioner Lual Chol told Radio Tamazuj that, although economic activities are thriving in his county, some armed youth suspected of coming from Mayom County in Unity State are fomenting insecurity.

“There is calm this week, and trading activities are going on well in Aneet Market, and some people brought cows, goats, sorghum, and other goods,” he said. “It was only last week that criminal activities occurred on Thursday in Mading Jook Thiang, Manol Awan, and the eastern part of Rumamer. Criminals killed four people and wounded three others.”

Adding: “One of the attackers was killed, and that is how we identified them as a Nuer armed group.”

Commissioner Chol said security forces did not pursue the attackers and that the army has not been deployed to protect the eastern corridor, which the armed youth always use to sneak through to civilians.

“The assailants raided cattle too and ran towards the junction of the three counties of Rumamer, Mijak, and Ameth-Aguok,” he said. “They wounded a policeman and took his rifle.”

For his part, Yuohna Akol Ngor, the Abyei Area spokesperson, confirmed the attack and called on the authorities in Mayom County to check the criminality of the youth there.

“Currently, the security situation is stable in all directions of the Abyei Area,” he stated. “However, last week, Nuer militia raided 200 cattle from the counties of Rumamer, Alal, and Ameth-Aguok,” he said. “They especially raided cattle in Ameth Bek Village, 10 kilometers east of Abyei Town, and also killed two people there, including a teacher from Late Kuol Adol School. They killed two other people in the area of Mading Jook Thiang, where one of the attackers was also killed.”

Meanwhile, James Lilly, the Mayom County commissioner, admitted that notorious Nuer youth often tarnish the name of the community because they do not listen to their elders and leaders.

“You people of Radio Tamazuj, why do you ask such questions? Don’t you know that all the youth are thieves nowadays?  As authorities, we do not have a problem. Nuer youth have raided cattle from Twic County and the Ngok Dinka (Abtei) area, and I have returned some cattle to both Abyei and Twic County three times now,” he said. “Dinka youth have not raided cattle from Nuer areas since I was appointed as commissioner. They blame the Nuer youths, but not all of them are bad.”