By James Chatim and Theophilous Ochang

The Executive Director for the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) Edmund Yakani has called on the Eastern, Central, and Jonglei States authorities to hold an urgent meeting to address the recent attack on cattle keepers in Aru junction.

The statement came following an attack on the cattle keepers at Nyollo village in Magwi County by an unidentified group of armed raiders last Friday.

Yakani said that could lead to a possible revenge attack if the authorities do not avert the situation.

He called on the Eastern, Central Equatoria and Jonglei States authorities to hold an urgent meeting to make the decision on the protection of the cattle herders from further armed deadly cattle raiding.

“CEPO at this sad moment I would like to pay condolences to the families of those whom we have lost during the armed deadly cattle raiding that was carried against the cattle camp in Aru Junction of Magwi County by armed raiders where we lost over 31 lives of cattle keepers and thousands of cattle were raided,” Yakani said.

“This is an unaccepted act that we strongly condemn and we hope that authorities will help in the recovering the raided cattle and also in handling the wounds of those who are wounded during the armed exchange of classes between cattle keepers and the raiders,” he added.

Yakani continued that they have seen indicators that an eminent deadly revenge attack is likely to take place within a week.

“The safety, protection and security of our citizens and their properties is a primary constitutional responsibility of our government authorities at various levels that are close to the people. Now we have seen cattle that have been raided, which need to be recovered,” he said.

Yakani appealed to President Kiir to direct authorities in the country to work with UNMISS and partners to scale up the capacity to provide safety and security for citizens.

“We have seen the population has been displaced now they need services in the areas of displacement.”

He said obstruction of UNMISS from exercising that mandate may contribute to the factor that widens the scale of putting our people into a risk life where their safety and their security is being compromised.

Eastern Equatoria youth deny any involvement

Meanwhile, as the conversation around the Aru Junction cattle raid boils, youth leader from Eastern Equatoria, Oriaja James Liberto, has distanced the community youth from any involvement in the attacks.

While responding to a statement released on January 31, 2025 authored by a group alleging to be the Bor Community Youth Association, and which accused the youth from Eastern Equatoria and Greater Pibor for involving in the attacks in Nyole, Magwi County, Oriaja, the acting chairperson of the youth union in Eastern Equatoria state refuted the claims, terming them ‘baseless and meant to mislead the public.’

“We the youth and the people of Eastern Equatoria State strongly reject the false accusations made by the Bor community youth association regarding the recent event in Nyolo Magwi County. Their claim that our youth raided their cattle are baseless and meant to mislead the public,” he said.