By William Ating-Torit
Minister of Local Government and Law Enforcement, Peter Lokeng Lotone on Tuesday appeared before Eastern Equatoria State August House to clarify matters regarding security situation in Magwi and part of Torit County.
He answered the lawmakers that the security in the state has been destabilized due to the cattle influx into the state which displaced hundreds of people, Radio Emmanuel reported.
The minister explained that the most affected area is Magwi County and Lowoi Payam in Torit County.
According to him, many of the incidents happened after the suspected cattle herders entered the state and began harassing, destroying gardens, killing people, burning houses and abducting children among others.
He said in Magwi County seventeen people were killed, 131 houses burnt and 17,000 people have been displaced while in Torit County five men were killed,103 houses burnt, three people are nursing injuries and 288 cattle raided from Tili village of Lowoi Payam.
“Currently, our state has been experiencing some insecurity and displacement of the population due to cattle influx into the state, the most affected areas are Magwi county and Lowoi Payam in Torit county. Many cattle keep keepers from Jonglei state. They came and started harassing, Destroying gardens, Killing people, burning houses, Raping women and abducting children, they did these in Chomboro, Agoro, Omeo , Ofiriha and Abara in general. In Magwi County 17 people killed, houses burned 131, displaced people 17,000, In Torit County They killed 5 men, burned 103 houses and raided 288 cattle”, he explains.
Minister Lokeng says the state government made several visits in order to assess the actual situation on the ground and to see possible solution to the security problems facing the people in Magwi County and Lowoi Payam of Torit County.
“Generally, the visits were made in order to assess the actual situation on the ground and to see the best possible solution to the security problems facing people in Magwi county and Lowoi Payam of Torit county. So, following the visits the state government, deployed forces at Abara and Chomboro Bomas of Magwi, made coordination with national government in order to send some soldiers to come and facilitate the return of cattle from Eastern Equatoria State back to their area of origin, coordinated with partners for quick humanitarian intervention in terms of food and non-food items for IDPs fortunately”, he notes.
The speaker was responding to summons by the Eastern Equatoria transitional Legislative Assembly on Tuesday in Torit.