Avoid giving your daughters to cattle rustlers, says Governor
Cattle stealing is a big problem in South Sudan’s Warrap State, sparking a wide range of attempts to clampdown on the criminals.
While dozens of cattle rustlers have been arrested in Tonj East County, locals have been urged to take matters into their own hands. Don’t allow cattle rustlers to marry your daughters because the cattle you receive as dowry are stolen ones,” he said, addressing local chiefs and young people in Tonj East County.
The stolen cattle will be taken back to their owners by the government and the thief will remain with your daughter for nothing,” Tong added.
A policeman guards a herd of raided and then retrieved cattle in Tonj East, June 15. Warrap State authorities vowed to put an end to cattle rustling in the State.
Authorities in Warrap State have vowed to put an end to the growing problem of cattle rustling. Madhol Chol, Commissioner of Tonj East, told The Niles that they have collected 523 stolen cattle and arrested 87 people, including six who are said to have murdered women.
We have collected about 395 herds of cattle raided from Luach Koth section by the Akok section and 75 cattle that belong to Sultan Manyang Mawien and were raided by Luach Koth section,” he said.
According to Madhol, cattle rustlers from the three counties of Tonj East, Tonj South and Cueibet exchange stolen cattle with people in other counties.
On June 15, a delegation of senior state government officials met local chiefs, youth leaders, known as Gal-weng, and other young people. They wanted to try and resolve ongoing conflicts between two sections of Lauch Koth and Akok where several people have been killed and cattle and other property looted.
The Deputy Governor Akec Tong Aleu told the local chiefs and youth leaders to hand criminals over to the authorities. Those involved must be brought to book,” he said, adding that forces would be deployed in the area and a special court had been formed to speed up the cases.
Local chiefs said they will clamp down on those suspected of castle rustling. We are going to hand more over,” said the chief of Luach, Sultan Koth Maper Marier.
The witnesses of the oath to end cattle rustling in Tonj East, Warrap State, June 15.
Meanwhile Akok section chief, Sultan Chol Malok, urged a speedy solution, describing how the conflict between the youth is killing locals. Youth leaders also pledged to try and stop violence and cattle rustling.
Tonj East County has been plagued by cattle raiding within its borders and with the neighbouring counties Tonj South, Tonj North of Warrap, Cueibet of Lakes and Mayendit of Unity State.
In April this year, Vice President Riek Machar and the three governors of Warrap, Lakes and Unity states visited the border counties to try to resolve cattle stealing conflicts and other local clashes.
