Africa-Press – South-Sudan. At least three men have been sentenced to nine months in prison by the traditional court in Lainya County, Central Equatoria State for sealing goats from Lokurubang boma.
“The three stolen goats were multiplied five times and they are ordered to pay fifteen goats. these measures are intended to deter such criminality,” Emmanuel Kemish Richard, Commissioner of Lainya County said Monday.
The convicts were given 15 days to appeal against the court’s judgment. Richard stressed that the offenders had two guns, AK47 which they used for threatening civilians to raid goats from them.
“In the process of stealing they were chased, some of the goats escaped from them and we only managed to get back three goats,” he said.
Khemis said the issue of civilians being threatened by the cattle keepers was very serious and they have resolved with the County security committee that any confiscated guns and other weapons will not be returned to the criminals because they will use them in other places if not in Lainya County.
“I have also made very clear directives that all these armed cattle keepers will not be allowed to move into towns and civilian areas with their guns and twigs if they are coming to the market leave your weapons in the cattle camps,” Richard said
He emphasized that if anybody is found roaming around the areas with their guns then that would be an intention of looting the local community The commissioner said after the suspects were interrogated, they admitted to having stolen the goats.
The suspects were tried in Lainya customary County C court before the paramount chief and chiefs from the cattle camp and three organs from the government The influx of cattle keepers in the area has led to an inceraing rate of thefts in the area.
“Within the cattle camps some individuals decided to become criminals involved in stealing and riding the goats of the people of Lainya county,” Khemis stressed. He said the reports about the increasing number of cattle keepers in the area have led them to set up security measures.
In 2019 local leaders who represented pastoralists and farmers had agreed to form a committee that would facilitate the movement of cattle out of farming areas in the Greater Equatoria region. The leaders met in Juba on June 18, 2019, during a consultative conference facilitated by the National Dialogue steering committee.
The resolution reiterated that the farmers and the cattle owners should abide by the decrees of the President that banned cattle keepers from entering the Equatoria region where farmers cultivate. The order instructed cattle keepers mainly from Terekeka, Jonglei, and greater Lakes states to leave farming lands.
“There was no way we can be singing the order of the president for the last three, four years and their people who are not complying so we are now taking steps and we have communicated with respectful security organs in the county to make sure that these cattle camps are informed to move out,” Khemis stressed.
Khemis warned the cattle keepers saying, “this is just the beginning and I want to warn all criminals that we will enforce the rule of law on anyone involved in committing a crime within Lainya county and this has nothing connected to tribe or region. any criminal must face the law as an individual, not as a tribe,” he said.
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