MINISTER CALLS FOR CALM IN IKOTOS, BUDI COUNTIES

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Eastern Equatoria minister for Public Administration and Internal Affairs called on the Budi and Ikotos people to maintain calm as the state government seeks ways to arrest suspects of the recent violence.

Claudio Suleiman Liling told journalists on Thursday that the state government is negotiating with chiefs in Budi County to persuade the communities to isolate the criminals and help the security to arrest them, Radio Emmanuel reported.

He says that not all the people in Lorema and Kikilai were involved in the confrontations with the security, but about 20 suspects.

Mr Suleiman lamented that organized cattle raiding in Eastern Equatoria state suddenly gained momentum from August last year.

The minster said ten officers and four civilian were killed on the incidents in Bira and Lorema on April 13 and 16, respectively, and 15 people were wounded.

Mr Suleiman did not include the five suspected raiders reported killed on the Bira attack.

Four civilians were also reported killed in Lorema.

Mr Suleiman urged the Bira people not to take revenge saying the state government seeks peaceful means through Budi County chiefs to recover the raided animals and return them to the owners.