Authorities in Mayom County, Unity State, have returned 51 herds of cattle reportedly raided from Apuk Padoc in Tonj North County, Warrap State, during recent communal violence.
The cattle were allegedly taken by individuals from Mayom while Tonj North was experiencing internal conflict.
In an exclusive interview with The Nile Witness on Saturday, John Bol Mayak, Mayom County’s Commissioner, said his administration intervened to recover the animals and prevent the incident from escalating tensions between communities on both sides of the border.
“As authorities, our responsibility is to protect people and their property. We cannot allow criminal elements to use conflict as an opportunity to raid cattle from neighboring communities,” Mayak said.
The recovered cattle were handed over to Tonj North County Commissioner, Agany Lok Agany, in Ajak-Kuac Payam of Twic County.
The handover was witnessed by Twic County Commissioner, Mangok Kom Nyuol.
Agany welcomed the return, saying the recovery of the cattle could help rebuild trust between communities that have experienced repeated violence and cattle-related disputes.
“The return of these cattle is important because it shows that when authorities work together, stolen property can be recovered without allowing a dispute to turn into another cycle of violence,” he stated.
The handover comes amid a history of cattle raids and retaliatory attacks along communities bordering Unity and Warrap states.
In May 2026, suspected cattle raiders attacked a cattle camp in Tonj North, reportedly killing four people, injuring five others and taking 133 cattle.
In July 2026, Mayom authorities recovered and returned 70 cattle reportedly raided from Twic County after youth from Mayom allegedly carried out the raid.
Commissioner Mayak at the time warned Mayom youth against cattle rustling and criminal activities.
He has also previously called on armed youth in Mayom to abandon cattle raiding and violence and pursue peaceful relations with neighboring communities.
Authorities from both areas further called on communities to work together to prevent further cattle raids, saying the return of the will strengthen relations between the neighboring counties and contribute to broader peacebuilding efforts.
