Local authorities in Jonglei State’s Uror County said arrangements are underway to pay 51 cows as blood compensation for a man from Bor County killed by assailants while in his shop earlier this month.
On 3 August, a man identified as John Anei was shot dead in his internet café in Yuai Town, the headquarters of Uror County, in an attack by armed assailants allegedly avenging relatives killed in a road ambush in May in neighboring Twic East County.
The whereabouts of the murder suspects have remained unknown. However, the prime suspect’s father and the chief of Wickol Payam were apprehended and remain in detention, in connection with the killing, and to lure the suspect.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Friday, Majok Chop, the director of information in Uror County, said a week of meetings with Bor County authorities and the family of the slain businessman resolved that 51 cows be paid as blood compensation as the manhunt continues to arrest the prime suspect.
“The community of Wickol Payam is collecting cows to be paid as blood compensation; they have collected 20 cows so far,” he stated. “In five days, they will be done with the collection of cows, after which a delegation will come from Bor for the handover of the cows.”
He added, “However, the chief and father of the suspect are still in detention and will not be released until the suspected murderer is arrested so that he serves six months or a year’s jail term.”
Efforts to reach the Bor authorities for comment on the matter were futile. Bor County Commissioner James Gai Makoor had earlier told Radio Tamazuj that talks were ongoing to amicably resolve the murder case. At the time, he urged the aggrieved family to remain calm.
Meanwhile, Bol Deng Bol, a civil society activist and the executive director of INTREPID South Sudan (ISS), said revenge killings are commonplace in the state and urged the enforcement of the Panel Code Act to deal with murder and other grave criminal offences. He contends that blood compensation is not an effective deterrent.
“The problem is that blood compensation is done outside our existing legal framework. Murder cases are supposed to be handled by statutory courts because customary courts have not been constitutionally empowered to act,” he stated. “What should have happened was the immediate arrest and arraignment of the suspects before a competent court of law. If this blood compensation were to be approved by a statutory court, then it would be good since it would be accompanied by a long jail term.”
“However, the roaming free of murder suspects is now to blame for cyclic revenge killings,” Deng added.