The authorities in Central Equatoria State’s Yei River County on Monday said a senior army officer and a soldier were killed and two other soldiers were injured while pursuing Mundari cattle raiders in the Giru area of Yei.
Addressing the press on Monday, Lt. Colonel Michael Machar, the Civil-Military Relations and Public Information Officer in Yei, said the incident occurred on Sunday night when two groups of SSPDF soldiers pursuing cattle raiders opened fire on each other, resulting in the death of Lt. Col. Kenyi and another soldier.
“What had happened on Sunday night was uncalled for, and we condemn it. We lost one Lt. Col. called Kenyi from the Wounded Heroes Unit, and another soldier,” he explained. “These things happened in Giru, when the soldiers moved from the barracks to go for rescue because there was a rumour in Katoleri that cattle raiders had come to the area called Giru. Kenyi and his group were on standby, but had no communication with another group of SSPDF soldiers.”
“When this group from the barracks went there, they were stopped, but they did not know who had stopped them, and the Kenyi group opened fire, and they exchanged fire, and it resulted in two people lost, the Lt. Col. Kenyi himself and one soldier,” Col. Machar added.
He said the two groups of soldiers were on the same mission, and that arrests had been made and the matter was being investigated.
Meanwhile, Yei River County Commissioner Emmanuel Taban Seme said cattle raiders have been threatening the lives of people in the county for the past five years and stealing livestock.
“For the last five days, we have been disturbed by the cattle herders and, particularly, the cattle raiders. They have been raiding people’s animals like cows, goats, and sheep. They are roaming within the areas of Mapoko, Geli, Gansuk, Gimunu, Pokula,” he said. “Every day we get information about their activities, so we tried to pursue them, but some are still within the area. On Sunday, as our forces were trying to pursue them, clashes occurred, and we lost two of our soldiers and two were injured.”
“We have formed a mobile force to pursue them and hold them accountable for what happened, and I urge the public not to take the law into their hands because the county authority will act on their behalf,” Commissioner Taban added.
He said that last year, the county authorities forcefully sent the herders back to their areas, but they keep coming back.
“So, we will treat them as anti-peace elements because what they do is a threat to the people. There’s no better solution than forcefully sending them back,” he said. “I urge the local people to remain calm because the situation has been addressed, and we are going to follow it up as an authority.”
The issue of cattle raids and thefts has increased in the areas of Yei, Lainya, Morobo, and Kajo-Keji counties of Central Equatoria State, with herders from Terkeka and Bor being faulted for the vice.