Feb 6, 2009 35 killed in CattLe Raiding

6 February - (Nairobi) - 35 people were killed and nine wounded in a series of cattle raids across Jonglei state last Friday.

William Kuol Chuol is the commissioner of Nyirol county, one of 3 counties affected by the raids. Speaking to Sudan Radio Service, he said the raiders were armed, organized, and appear to have come from Pibor county. He alleges the raiders managed to steal over 6000 head of cattle.

Chuol blames the attacks on what he calls ”false assurances” from the GOSS presidential advisor on peace and reconciliation, Ismael Konyi. Kuol charges Konyi and other Murle leaders with promising the Lou-Nuer community that there would be peace and an end to cattle raiding, which led to a false sense of security.

[William Kuol]: “People move to those areas because of the directives from Ismael Konyi, who is the advisor to the presidency for peace in the GOSS. He came to Akobo, Waat and Uror telling people there is peace, and now his word is turning to death. It’s because they were told by Murlei leaders.”

Konyi, who is a Murlei chief, told Sudan Radio Service on Thursday from Khartoum that he is appealing to all Murle to return any stolen cattle.

He said the families of those who have been killed in the raids will be compensated and the raiders will be prosecuted.

[Ismael Konyi]: “I am not happy with Murlei for taking cattle from Lou-Nuer. Those cows should be returned to the Nuer and the people who died should be compensated for. The culprits should face the law. But I have to go to Pibor to solve this problem. Chiefs and the commission of Pibor are working hard to bring back those cattle.”

Konyi also said that the process of disarming civilians in southern Sudan must be speeded up. He was responding to a statement from Uror county commissioner Gatluak Reath Dual, who said the attackers in Uror were well-armed and dressed in military uniforms.

[Gatluak Reath Dual]: “The problem is because disarmament was not done in the whole state here. In 2006, it was done here in Lou [Nuer] areas only. That is why the casualties are more in our side because they don’t have guns to defend themselves. So we cannot blame anybody. The only thing I can say to the government of southern Sudan is to continue with the disarmament program. If they don’t continue, the killing will be worse than before.”

That was Uror county commissioner Gatluak Reath Dual, calling for the disarmament process in southern Sudan to be stepped up.

Yes our goverment shouldn't suporse to delaye the desarming of murley
community, and I hope is not hard at all to desarme the Murle community
because Murle is not largest then Lou nuer which where desarme by Goss, why? the Goverment of Southern Sudan make it complicated to
Desarme the murle communities, I think our Goss don't want to desarme murle weapone they think is funny< if they don't negatiated
with Murle community Leaders, it will bring back the coruption into Upper-nile, that will effected the lives of other nationalty in southern Sudan who live in peace for 5 years period it will take the South to trail out again.
if they don't want to report their guns and the Goss don't care about that.
that community will distroy the peace in Southern Sudan and they will
provented the development to proceedual a head in to Upernile
because a lot of young childeren every where esle wouldn't be able to go back into Southern Sudan to creating the devolopment in Southern Sudan but they don't like those type of coruption between communities to communities.
sincerely Kun Nyang Dieu