The attack reportedly took place at dawn last Saturday in Poktap, Duk County, when armed raiders targeted herders from Twic East who had moved their livestock to the area in search of pasture.
Twic East County Commissioner Juach Arok initially claimed that over 300 head of cattle were driven away by the raiders.
However, following an investigation, Duk County Commissioner John Chatim presented a different figure, stating that only 99 cattle were confirmed stolen.
“Our investigation revealed that 99 cattle were raided, of which 58 have been recovered so far. The remaining 41 are still being traced from the suspected raiders, who are believed to come from within Duk,” Commissioner Chatim said.
Commissioner Arok welcomed the recovery effort but noted that the recovered animals had not yet been officially handed over to Twic East authorities for return to their rightful owners.
In a conciliatory tone, Commissioner Chatim urged his counterpart in Twic East to reciprocate by returning 40 cattle allegedly seized by residents of Twic East from a man from Duk County.
“We are ready to cooperate for peace and recovery. We ask Twic East to also return cattle belonging to our resident that were confiscated there,” he stated.
Commissioner Arok, however, denied any knowledge of cattle confiscated in his county.
“I am not aware of any cattle confiscated here. I only heard of a man who may have left his animals behind out of fear after the incident,” Arok clarified.
The latest exchange comes amid fragile relations between some communities in Duk and Twic East, following recent clashes over a disputed fishing island known as Buoth Agany. Local authorities say they are working together to restore calm and prevent retaliatory attacks.
