The Toposa Community in Juba has condemned the recent attack by suspended cattle raiders in Kapoeta East County that left 14 people dead last week.
Paul Napwon Yona, the Chairperson of Toposa Community Union for Eastern Equatoria State, says raiders invaded the area on July 6, killed over fourteen people, and 11 wounded during the violence in Kapoeta.
“On July 6, 2022, a combined force of raiders from Greater Pibor administrative area, Buya of Budi County and Tenet of lofon County attacked Toposa cattle Camp at Lokoromae in Kopoeta North County,’ he said.
Napwon claimed that the attackers raided fifteen thousand (15,000) herds of cattle, and over two hundred livestock were killed.
Napwon says more bodies are still being discovered in the bushes following a similar pattern by an armed group from PAA.
He reveals that the attacks on the Toposa Cattle Camps were facilitated by some high profile from elsewhere, citing that it has never happened in their history before.
“Some high-profile people from elsewhere facilitated the two attackers on the Toposa Cattle Camp. It has never happened in our history that the surmic speaking Tribes: Murle, Tenet, and Buya joined forces to violent attack Toposa.”
The Toposa Community Union calls on state and national governments to intervene and demand the return of cattle raided.
“The raiders should unconditionally return all our 22,000 herds of cattle they have raided. The state government should work to recover the raided cattle.”
The Toposa and Pibor administrative area has been holding a peace conference to resolve the grievances, but reports of violence between the communities persist.
The community members appreciated the Lafon County Administration for enabling the cattle keepers to evacuate women and children before the attack.
“The Toposa Community would like to express its appreciation to the Lafon County Administration for enabling the cattle keepers to evacuate women and children in the last minutes before the attack.”
Great Pibor Administration is yet to respond to the allegation against them.
In August last year, communities held the Kali communities Peace conference in which the two communities of Buya and Toposa pledged to live in peace.