Kapoeta cattle raid death toll rises to 235 as GPPA admits youth crossed to EES – official

JUBA – Authorities in South Sudan’s Kapoeta County of Eastern Equatoria state have said that death toll in last week’s cattle raid has risen dramatically to at least 235 with unknown number of people having been wounded.

Last week, authorities said that armed youth from neighboring Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) resulted in the killing of at least 68 people, while 15,000 herds of cattle were stolen.

But now Kapoeta North County Commissioner Emmanuel Epone Lolimo says that the death toll has risen to 235 and blamed the Murle for the attack.

“We are not celebrating the death, but we also blame them for coming to raid us. It has been sixteen years since we had conflict,” Epone told the Eye Radio in an interview.

“So, during this incident, the death toll rose up to two hundred and thirty-five which is not good. We are not celebrating this big number. But we blame them for coming to attack us,” he added.

GPPA ADMITS YOUTH CROSSED TO ATTACK EES

For his part, the deputy chief administrator of Greater Pibor Administrative Area John Abula admitted that some youth crossed to attack Eastern Equatoria state.

“Cattle raiding always involve loss of lives, so we are not worried about that incident because they took their lives to that extent,” he is quoted by Eye Radio as saying.

“So, we learned that there were some casualties and loss of lives also there but it is not new because they were the ones who decided to go there,” he added.