Six former cattle raiders have joined a peace building team to campaign against the vice and transform communities of Greater Kapoeta into peaceful, co-existing cattle keeping groups.
The former raiders are now members of youth LEAD, a group trained by Catholic Relief Services and the Catholic Diocese of Torit as peace ambassadors to spearhead peace building in Kapoeta East and Budi counties, Radio Emmanuel reported.Peter Lopitakol Losike, a warrior and former cattle raider, is among three other Toposa colleagues in the peace building team.
He said after quitting raiding, he has to talk to former colleagues to convince them to desist from the old practice.
Mr Lopitakol, who advocates for end of cattle raiding, comes from Nadapal cattle camp of Kalido Boma, in Kapoeta East County of Eastern Equatoria.
He said he participated in several cattle raids to Turkana in Kenya, Karamoja in Uganda, and Didinga and Buya in Budi County.
Mr Lopitakol added that, though cattle raiding expeditions helped him get animals to pay bride wealth, it is not an easy practice but a game of death where one has to kill or be killed on the process of seeking for the traditional wealth.
Simon Lokwar, a 32-old Didinga from Lotukei and Betimani cattle camps, is another raider turned peacemaker.
He confesses taking part in raiding to get animals to pay bride prices for his two wives, but lamented losing relatives in the ill pursuit.
Mr Lopitakol and Mr Lokwar both observed that the practice of cattle raiding obstructed the development of the rural areas and must stop.