12/12/2025
: The menace of cattle raids and insecurity in our nation
By Engr. Maker Mangol Acien Yuol
Early this year, I had the opportunity to travel to Cueibet County, Lakes State, but unfortunately, I was unable to handle the challenges the communities face.
Having visited Duony, Abiriu, Mayath and Achol Malek Payams, I interacted with the people and observed many issues in the county. I also gathered information about Pagor, Tiap-Tiap, Malou-Pec, Nyap and Citcok Payams.
The most perplexing issue is the magnitude of cattle raids and the insecurity caused by these practices among the communities in these areas.
Anyar Nyuan Community versus Waat Adol Community, and the Agar Community versus the Gok Community. The Gok Community and Tonj Community continue attacking each other in attempts to secure cattle and property.
Besides cattle raid–related insecurity, the killing of innocent people is intertwined with these conflicts. The social fabric continues to erode as the practice persists.
Infrastructural development and connectivity between the people, the county and the state government have been very poor, as I witnessed.
I experienced a lot while interacting with the people, who shared their desire to be served by the government. Their expectations and demands for services remain unfulfilled.
They asked many questions about my educational background and the fields I studied. Some continued to ask where I would work now that I am done with my education.
When I explained my educational background and the fields I studied, they were very happy to understand how important engineering is in today’s world. They even related my work to that of Amb. Eng. Chol Tong, though they quickly shifted to asking whether I could construct or build the road connecting Abiriu or Mayath to Duony, Pagor, Tiap-Tiap and Malou-Pec.
Indeed, this road requires resources for my skills and abilities to be applied. Voluntary work alone cannot address it, especially when our people across the country continue to lose lives and property due to poor access to health care centers and weak connectivity between communities, counties and states.
The people are tired of carrying patients—especially those injured in conflicts—on their backs or tying them on wooden stretchers to walk long distances of 35 km to 75 km to reach health centers.
In the case of Lakes State, for instance, they travel distances of 35 km to 75 km carrying patients to Abiriu Health Care Unit, Abyicok Health Care Unit, Mayath Health Care Unit, Cueibet County Hospital, and eventually to Rumbek Civil Hospital if the case cannot be handled at the payam or county level. In many cases, the patient is likely to die before reaching the health care facilities.
One patient who died at Cueibet County Hospital due to lack of quick response was a typical example.
Elderly persons, children, people with disabilities and women—who are vulnerable—always bear the brunt. After traveling long distances on foot under the scorching sun or heavy rain, patients sometimes find that the health facilities lack drugs.
These roads could save countless lives if built. The Gok communities settling in these areas face heavy challenges that hinder their development. Their economic growth is also affected, despite having resources such as cows, goats, sheep, chickens, honey, fruits like Leng and Thou, and crops such as groundnuts and sorghum.
These products, if connected by secure and accessible feeder roads to markets in Cueibet, Rumbek, Wau, Juba and other parts of the country, would significantly boost the national economy.
Alas, our own actions—cattle raids, road attacks and cyclic communal conflicts—are the greatest impediments to progress. Only the prevalence of peace and security for travelers and residents alike would allow us to enjoy the full benefits of our nation’s independence.
When the youth, who are supposed to be the engine of development, engage in retrogressive activities like cattle raids and communal conflicts, they give the government reason to divert funds to security instead of development.
There is so much needed in Gok, as I witnessed during my visit. Our people are suffering seriously before our eyes.
However, we must first clean our own hands of violence and conflict before raising them to God and the government for help.
As we ask Almighty God and the government to liberate us from poverty, let us liberate our hands from cattle raids, attacks and communal conflicts.
