A 25-year-old man, identified as Oleyo Lokongorok from Hiyala village in Torit County, was on Tuesday morning shot dead while they were tracking stolen cattle after an early morning raid.  

Unspecified herds of cattle had reportedly been stolen from one Kraal.

In an interview with The City Review on Tuesday, Galileo Ohide, the paramount chief of Hiyala Payam said criminals suspected to be from Haforieri village in Torit County stormed Hiyala village and made away with unspecified herds of cattle from one Kraal, a move that prompted the youth from Hiyala Village to launch a mission to track the stolen cattle.

“The criminals raided and took away the animals at around 5am this morning. Youths then traced the footmarks of the animals until they arrived at some bush between Loguruny and Haforieri village, where they found the criminals, and clashed. The fighting led to the death of one person,” Ohide said.

The chief called on communities across the payam to cease from all forms of criminalities and embrace peace and cohesion.

“My message to the people is that they stop all these forms of criminal activities and fully embark on peace. Crime is not helping anyone,” he said.

Meanwhile Angela Ajana Pio, a Member of Parliament representing Torit County in the Eastern Equatoria state transitional legislative assembly, expressed shock and called out on the perpetrators.  

“I am not happy with such incidences. These issues of cattle rustling are really finishing our youth. Frequent raids are causing loss of lives. I condemn such acts and ask our youth to desist from such activities,” he said.  

According to the MP, several dialogues, conferences and reconciliation efforts aimed at bringing the communities into common ground and understanding have been conducted in vain

“We have tried so many times especially Hiyala payam, organized workshops, conferences, and reconciliation efforts but we have not managed to completely end these activities,” he said.

Last month, a 20-year-old was killed in a revenge attack between Hiyala and Haforieri village in Torit County, making another incident in a series of occurrences that began in 2018, and have since resulted into issues ranging from revenge killing and cattle raiding.

“I am not happy with such incidences. These issues of cattle rustling are really finishing our youth. Frequent raids are causing so loss of lives. I condemn such acts and ask our youth to desist from such activities,” Angela Ajana Pio, an MP representing Torit County in EES Assembly.