The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Amuru, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Security personnel in South Sudan on Friday handed back to their Ugandan counterpart 11 herds of cattle stolen by a yet-to-be-identified group of armed men.
The animals are part of 24 cattle stolen from a kraal belonging to a cattle keeper in Okidi Parish, Atiak Sub-county in Amuru District on January 13. The thugs, following the raid, reportedly crossed back into South Sudan’s Magwi County where the stolen herds of cattle were recovered.
The animals were handed over during a bilateral engagement between security officials from the two nations, at the Ministry of Interior in Nimule Town, Magwi county in Eastern Equatoria state.
During the engagement, Amuru Resident District Commissioner Geoffrey Osborn Oceng lauded South Sudanese security for their swift response in recovering the stolen cattle and ensuring they were handed over to Ugandan security.
Oceng however accused a commanding army officer of the Tiger Brigade in Magwi County of allegedly under-declaring the rightful numbers of the stolen cattle and extorting up to 2.5 million shillings from the cattle owners. He said initially the reports they got indicated the army in South Sudan had intercepted 24 cattle but only 11 were produced.
Oceng tasked his counterparts to ensure the remaining 13 animals were released back to their owners in the next few days to promote harmony.
“When you do national service, do the service in protecting the image of your country, more so when you are put strategically at the border,” said Oceng.
Ugandan security has since registered a complaint against the army officer only identified as Maj Akol with the South Sudan police at Nimule Township according to Oceng.
Benjamin Pole Pole, the Commissioner of Magwi County promised his Ugandan counterparts that they will expedite the process of recovering the remaining 13 cattle that will be handed back to their rightful owners soon.
Pole said the two nations are jointly working on combatting cross-border crimes, affecting bilateral relations and the sources of livelihoods on each side.
“If 13 cattle are remaining, we are going to look around and get all the 13 cattle,” said Pole Pole.
Brig Gen. Mworwel Majok Anyar, the Integrated Border Management Committee Chairman said South Sudan remains committed to ensuring peaceful coexistence along its border points with neighboring countries.
Anyar however faulted the cattle owners for their attempts to retrieve the animals back into Uganda through a porous border point without informing the South Sudanese security personnel.
“The mistake is that the cattle owners didn’t inform us, they went straight to that side, we don’t know who they met with or what they discussed. When we recover close information to recover all the cows, we shall inform you,” he said.
In October last year, Uganda and South Sudan authorities signed a new cross-border management agreement that focuses on the need for increased security cooperation, increased information sharing, joint security operations, trade facilitation, and simplified measures to encourage cross-border trade.
*****
URN
