4 family members abducted, murdered in Lainya by suspected cattle keepers

JUBA – At least four people from one family have been abducted and murdered by suspected cattle keepers in Lainya County of Central Equatoria State.

This comes after a group of suspected herders stormed the home of a community leader in Wonduruba Payam and bundled up four people from the house.

Ambrose Lomin, a Member of Parliament representing Lainya County, said the bodies of the four were found in the bush Friday morning.

“They went to the house of our Executive Chief, Charles Lokiko, and abducted four people in the house, a man and his wife plus two children,” Lomin said as quoted by Eye Radio.

“It happened yesterday [Friday] in the evening but today [Saturday] in the morning, the parents of the people who disappeared followed them and found the bodies lying dead, they shot them,” he added.

The group of herdsmen, according to county authorities in Lainya, was still at large.

The lawmaker condemned the killing adding that the incident has sent shivers down the spines of farmers which he said created panic among his farming constituents.

“We condemn it and we want this thing to stop. I call upon our people of Wonduruba to remain calm as the government and as representatives in the government, let them give us room to follow this issue with the levels of the government.”

The lawmakers also said the armed men are believed to be from Terekeka County.

In response, Juma Wilson who is the chairperson of Tali Community in Terekeka could not confirm the incident.

“I have got this information through our social media here and we are trying to know or get an exact report because that area is not occupied by Mundari alone. So, we are now trying to get this information, either it is true or it is not true,” he told Eye Radio.

Last month, representatives of Wonduruba and Lainya expressed concerns over the disruption of farming by cattle.

They raised the issue in a meeting with Terekeka communities in Juba to discuss modalities of ensuring peaceful coexistence among their communities.

This week, the governors of Central and Eastern Equatoria States urged the Council of States to enact laws that will regulate the movement of cattle and mitigate recurring cattle-related conflicts.