A high ranking official in Warrap said cattle raiding in his state is not politically motivated but driven by economic gain.
Salva Mathok is a minister in Warrap government. He told SCR News that tribesmen from neighboring Unity state are responsible for major cattle rustling incidents in Warrap.Mr. Mathok denied that politics were behind cattle rustling.
He added that Unity state communities started to regard cows as a commodity to make money.
Mr. Mathok called upon the security forces to start disarming Unity states communities to secure Lakes and Warrap residents whose guns were already taken away and are vulnerable to any attack.
Mr. Mathok said the incidents of cattle raiding in the state have reduced drastically after the elections.
The UN says that at the beginning of May, 27 civilians and six SPLA soldiers were killed in cattle raids in Greater Tonj organized by raiders from Unity and Lakes state.